Kindness is more than behavior. Kindness means harboring a spirit of helpfulness, as well as being generous and considerate, and doing so without expecting anything in return. The act of giving kindness is often free, positive, and healthy. In this world we live in, we need more kindness. All you see in the news is people fighting, hurting, and killing each other. Why? This is not new, either. It’s always been like this. We need kindness more than ever in this generation of adults. Why, you may ask? We need more kindness because you may not know it, but you benefit from random acts of kindness more than you think. 

The saying goes “Kindness is quiet” because it’s true. Kindness is beneficial to us for many reasons. You feel good after doing a random act of kindness, or feel good after someone does one for you. But what if your body actually benefited from kindness? News flash: it can. It is scientifically shown that kindness can help your body, mind, and overall well-being. Some scientific proven facts of this are mood improvements, increased self esteem, reduced isolation, decreased blood pressure, and it even decreases a stress hormone called cortisol, which directly impacts stress levels. Psychologically, kindness has a positive effect on your mind. Speaking scientifically, doing acts of kindness boosts neurotransmitters in your brain, more specifically serotonin and dopamine. When these two are brought together, it gives a feeling of satisfaction and well-being. Kindness can also release endorphins, which is your body’s natural painkiller.   

On February 11th, 2022, the Farmingdale district hosted P.S I Love You Day within our schools. P.S I Love You Day is a special day that mainly revolves around the idea to decrease bullying, and to also raise awareness for mental health. It also promotes acts of kindness. For P.S I Love You day, other students and I were on the lookout for any random acts of kindness. Whenever we saw a student doing a random act of kindness for a staff member or student, they were given a “Kindness Kard,” which was a gift card that had value on it for certain food-establishments. We did this because no random act of kindness should go unseen. In the world we live in today, we need kindness more than ever. Everybody deserves kindness in life. Opening a door, sharing, and other acts that most people think are small acts, can do a lot for our mental and physical well-being.