ISTD The Ripple Effect 2/2

Oxytocin is a hormone that plays a crucial role in bonding, trust, and social behaviour. It is known as the ‘love hormone’ or the ‘bonding hormone’ due to it being released in response to positive interactions.

Witnessing acts of kindness produces as well as releases the oxytocin hormone into the brain. This release reinforces social bonds, helping in an overall sense of well-being. Oxytocin also aids in lowering blood pressure and improving our overall heart health. As well as this, the hormone increases self-esteem and optimism, which is supportive with anxiety in social situations.

Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, performs in the brain’s pleasure and reward system. The dopamine hormone contributes to mood enhancement which promotes an improved mental well-being.

When you engage in acts of kindness, your brain’s reward system is activated. This system involves the release of neurotransmitters, for example dopamine, which contributes to the positive feelings associated with helping others. Acts of kindness can create a positive feedback loop, meaning the act in itself brings a sense of pleasure, your brain likely will encourage you to repeat those behaviours, causing a ripple effect.

HELPER’S HIGH

NEUROTRANSMITTERS

KINDNESS INCREASES

Neurotransmitters are quite often known as the body’s chemical message carriers. The exact number neurotransmitters in humans is unknown, but more than 100 have been identified.

Serotonin is another neurotransmitter that is often known as the ‘feel-good’ hormone. Serotonin is referred to in that way because it helps the brain with mood regulation - the higher serotonin levels in the brain means a more improved mood.

Like the majority of antidepressants, kindness stimulates the production of serotonin. The making of this hormone increases feelings of calmness and happiness. Acts of kindness releases serotonin, which improves mood and promotes well-being. Endorphins, yet another neurotransmitter, are produced by the body and act as natural pain killers and mood elevators.

Engaging in acts of kindness can trigger the release of endorphins, which are known to create a sense of euphoria and happiness. Performing kind acts causes a reduction of stress and discomfort, leading to a release of endorphins which decreases pain. The mood boost endorphins create causes a ripple effect that aids repetitive kind behaviour.

HELPER’S HIGH

NEUROTRANSMITTERS

KINDNESS INCREASES KINDNESS

Neurotransmitters play a key role in regulating the brain’s mood and emotion; they impact our overall well being, behaviour, and the functioning of various organ systems in our bodies.

Linking to what kindness increases, engaging in kind acts produces endorphins which brain uses as natural painkillers. Endorphins bind to opioid receptors in the brain, reducing the perception of pain.

A research study was completed by University of British Columbia to show how acts of kindness can significantly reduce stress. A group of highly anxious individuals performed at least six acts of kindness a week. After one month, the research showed that there was a drastic increase in positive moods, relationship satisfaction and a decrease in social avoidance in socially anxious individuals. Kind actions are linked to joy, which prevents negative effects of stress. The release of neurotransmitters when an act of kindness is done, such as oxytocin, reduces stress because of its optimism effects on the brain. Research discovered that kind people have 23% less cortisol (the stress hormone) and age slower than the average population.

Stephen Post of University School of Medicine concluded a study on the effects kind acts have on disorders like depression. He found that when we give of ourselves, everything from life satisfaction to self-realization, physical health is notably improved. Mortality is delayed, depression is reduced and well-being is increased.

KINDNESS

HELPER’S HIGH NEUROTRANSMITTERS

Committing acts of kindness has been associated with benefits for cardiovascular health, such as lowering blood pressure.

According to Dr. David R. Hamilton, acts of kindness create emotional warmth. This releases the hormone oxytocin which itself results in the release of a chemical called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide dilates the blood vessels which reduces blood pressure and, therefore, gives oxytocin its name for being a “cardioprotective” hormone. It protects the heart by lowering blood pressure.

PLATFORMS PLATFORMS

PLATFORMS PLATFORMS PLATFORMS PLATFORMS PLATFORMS PLATFORMS PLATFORMS PLATFORMS

Random act of kindness platforms exist purely for encouraging a culture of kindness. These platforms, such as websites and social media, provide people with inspiration and ideas for how they can make a postitive difference in the world. They recommend a variety of suggestions, stories, and challenges to help individuals discover new ways to spread kindness. Online platforms play a vital role in showing the importance of kindness and expressing its impact on individuals and within communities.

Platforms such as Kindness.org create online communities where like-minded people can connect and come together to share their experiences regarding kind acts. By encouraging and celebrating acts of kindness, these platforms contribute to the creation of a compassionate culture. They strive to counter negativity, which is often the case online, and promote a minset that values joy and generosity.

Social media platforms such as Twitter utilise the use of hashtags. #KindnessMatters is used to share positive stories and inspire others to introduce acts of kindness into their lives.

KindSpring.org is a platform and online community that encourages people to practice small kind acts. The platform that is volunteer ran serves as a hub for individuals around the world to connect, share, and inspire one another through positive actions.

The website serves as a digital platform where people can find inspiration, connect with like-minded individuals, and contribute to the creation of a more caring world. The platform provides a space for community members to share their stories of kindness. The growing user community of 138,322 people can post their experiences, reflections, and the impact of both giving and receiving acts of kindness. Kind Spring aligns with the movement of promoting the positive effects kindness has on individual as well as community well-being.

KindSpring features an ‘idea’ section where users of the website can find examples of hundreds of random acts of kindness. The examples go from simple tasks like ‘call you mum’ to more outgoing acts such as ‘pay for a strangers meal at a restaurant’.

In addition, the website also features the 21 day challenge where participants are inspired to perform specific kind acts everyday. These set challenges serve to engage individuals in intentional acts that contribute to positive change over time. KindSpring have found that small consistent actions performed over 21 days can create a significant impact in ones personal life - when these actions are completed by groups of people, the impact spreads even further. These challenges currently have 57,865 participants.

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1,999,999

1,999,998

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Kindness.org is a platform dedicated to promoting and encouraging acts of kindness worldwide. The website focuses on creating a positive and compassionate online community where individuals can share, inspire, and engage in acts of kindness.

Like KindSpring, the Kindness platform serves as an online hub where people from around the world can share their personal stories of kindness. These stories act as a source of inspiration and demonstrate the positive impact that acts of kindness can have on individuals and communities. Allowing people to share their stories lets them to feel like they’re part of a larger kindness community. Every time a story is told, others are inspired to choose kindness. The stories entered by people in the community are recorded on a ‘kind act counter’ that has over 2,000,000 acts of kindness documented.

Kindness.org runs a program called Kindlab. Kindlab is the websites research hub, where they looked into the causes and consequences of kindness through a mix of pure and applied research methods. Kindlab puts focus on the social, behavioural, and life science, to help to educate what the true impact of kindness is. One of the first things Kindlab investigated was an answer to the question, “What is kindness?”

The years of research have revealed that kindness is personal, intimate, and means something different to each person – it’s also something universally known and understood.

MATTER MATTER MATTER MATTER MATTER MATTER

#KINDNESS

#KINDNESS #KINDNESS

#KINDNESS #KINDNESS #KINDNESS #KINDNESS

#KindnessMatters is a social media movement that aims to promote the importance of kindness in everyday life. The hashtag is often used to share and spread positive stories, quotes, and acts of kindness across various social media platforms, but is seen the most on Twitter and Instagram.

Using social media as a tool to spread kindess has such a reach all over the world. Social media users employ hashtags like #KindnessMatters to connect with and remind each other the importance of being kind. The creation of #KindnessMatters allowed for communities to form in online spaces, where people who share a similar duty to promoting kindness can interact and contribute to a collective conversation about the positive effects of compassionate actions.

In an effort to spread a little more kindness, artist Anna Borisovna Sergeeva created a public art project called the Compliment Project. The project was publicly shown in San Fransisco, and anyone with access to a printer and tape could participate.

Within a week of starting the project, it grew internationally and was featured in The New York Times, ABC News, and San Francisco Chronicle. People all around the world were sharing photos of the posters via #thecomplimentproject on Instagram and Twitter.

Sergeeva was inspired by posters that are taped on street poles that advertise baby sitters or piano lessons. Those posters normally have paper slip phone numbers at the bottom that are meant to be ripped off and then taken. The artist created her poster designs with the same structure, including compliments such as ‘your smile is beautiful’ and ‘you light up the room’.

The reaction Anna Sergeeva received was overwhelmingly positive, which resulted in her creating the website thecomplimentproject.org where anyone can download and print the posters for their own personal communities, spreading the acts of kindness worldwide.

KINDSPRING.ORG

The Compliment Project by Anna Borisovna Sergeeva intended to spread more kindness in communities. The project offered kind words to strangers and encouraged them to create a ripple effect.

ACTS OF KINDNESS KINDNESS

KINDNESS KINDNESS KINDNESS KINDNESS

NOW

NOW

Give someone a compliment

Send a thoughtful text

Offer someone a hug

Leave a good review

Do a favour for someone

Check in on a friend

Donate clothes to charity

Tip a restaurant worker

Make someone a cup of tea

Recommend a small business

Hold the door for someone

RIPPLE EFFECT EFFECT EFFECT

RIPPLE EFFECT RIPPLE EFFECT RIPPLE EFFECT

RIPPLE EFFECT

RIPPLE EFFECT

RIPPLE EFFECT

RIPPLE EFFECT RIPPLE EFFECT RIPPLE EFFECT

RIPPLE EFFECT

The concept of a ripple effect in the context of random acts of kindness refers to the idea that a single act of kindness can have a cascading impact. Receiving a random act of kindness likely inspires the individual to engage in a similar positive behaviour. So, the ripple effect means when someone receives kindness, they are more inclined to reciprocate by being kind to others. This reciprocity creates a cycle of positive behavior that extends beyond the initial act.

As more people participate in random acts of kindness, it can contribute to the establishment of social norms and expectations within a community. When kindness becomes a valued behaviour, individuals may feel a sense of obligation to contribute positively.

The positive energy generated by random acts of kindness radiates outwards. People who have benefited from kindness are more likely to interact with others in a positive and compassionate manner, creating a ripple effect in their social circles. This could involve helping others, expressing gratitude, or performing random acts of kindness in return.

ONE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS

TWO THREE

ONE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS

TWO THREE CAN INFLUENCE

ONE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS

TWO THREE CAN INFLUENCE

THE CHAIN OF EVENTS

ONE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS

TWO THREE CAN INFLUENCE

LIKE SEEDS SOWN BY GENTLE WINDS

THE CHAIN OF EVENTS

ONE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS

TWO THREE CAN

INFLUENCE

THE CHAIN OF EVENTS LIKE SEEDS SOWN BY GENTLE WINDS

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

ONE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS

TWO THREE CAN INFLUENCE

LIKE SEEDS SOWN BY GENTLE WINDS

THE CHAIN OF EVENTS

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

TAKE ROOT IN THE SOIL OF HUMANITY

ONE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS

TWO THREE CAN INFLUENCE

THE CHAIN OF EVENTS LIKE SEEDS SOWN BY GENTLE WINDS

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

BLOSSOMING INTO GARDENS OF JOY

TAKE ROOT IN THE SOIL OF HUMANITY

Random Acts of Kindness

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