Healthcare professionals should prioritize connecting and communicating with patients empathetically, as studies show that patients who rated their doctors highly for empathy had a 50% higher immune response and recovered 50% faster from conditions like the cold or flu.
When communicating, especially in a professional or healthcare setting, establish a deep connection first so the other person feels heard and is more receptive to your message, rather than just delivering information directly.
Recognize that kindness, through feelings of warmth and connection, produces oxytocin, which is physiologically the opposite of stress hormones and acts as a cardio-protective hormone, reducing blood pressure and protecting the cardiovascular system.
Engage in loving kindness meditation, repeating phrases like ‘May you be happy, may you be well, may you be safe, may you be at peace,’ as this practice generates a system-wide anti-inflammatory effect and can lead to no measurable loss of telomere length, indicating slower biological aging.
Commit to a 7-day kindness challenge by performing a different act of kindness each day, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone at least once, and ensuring one act is completely anonymous to foster genuine compassion and personal growth.
To positively impact society and address feelings of powerlessness, be kind to someone each day, understanding that each act of kindness can create a ripple effect, benefiting approximately 125 people at three social steps.
Implement a daily gratitude game at dinner, asking questions like ‘What have I done today to make somebody else happy?’, ‘What has somebody else done to make me happy?’, and ‘What have I learned today?’ to foster family connection and positive reflection.
After performing an act of kindness, intentionally reflect on how it made you feel, as this helps to ’lock in’ the positive emotion and reinforces the behavior, conditioning you to become a kinder person.
Engage in warm, gentle touch (like stroking someone on the forearm or upper back) or foster warm connections, as this increases oxytocin levels, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and boosts natural killer cells, improving immune function.
If you’ve had a heart attack, consider having a dog, as the oxytocin generated through bonding can reduce the chances of a second heart attack within 12 months by 400%, beyond just the benefits of exercise.
To boost your immune system (specifically SIGA levels, an immune antibody in saliva), watch videos or observe others demonstrating care and compassion, as this can generate feelings of connection and upliftment, similar to the ‘Mother Teresa effect’.
Develop a habit of pausing before speaking negatively about others and instead, practice thinking empathetically, wondering if they might be struggling, to cultivate a more compassionate mindset and feel kinder towards them.
To process anger, trauma, or hurt, practice expressive writing for 15-20 minutes a day for four consecutive days, detailing what happened, how you felt, and its impact, which can boost immune response and reduce the need for medical visits.
When feeling angry or frustrated with someone, write out an email expressing your feelings but do not send it, as the act of processing and externalizing the emotion can be incredibly beneficial for managing anger.
To reduce momentary stress, get up and move your body at an artificially slow pace, as your brain interprets this physical expression as a sign of relaxation, helping to change how you feel in the moment.
To improve skills or performance (e.g., tennis, public speaking), visualize the physical movements of your body as if you are actually doing them, as the brain wires these repetitive movements, making it easier to perform in reality.
If you lack a clear mental representation for visualization (e.g., a complex sports move), repeatedly watch someone else performing the action (action observation) to condition your brain circuits and improve visualization clarity.
For stroke recovery, supplement physiotherapy sessions with 30 minutes of daily visualization where you repetitively imagine familiar movements (e.g., reaching for a glass of water), as this leads to faster and more significant recovery.
To suppress appetite or manage food cravings, vividly imagine eating the desired food, as this can activate the ‘I’m full’ part of the brain and potentially lead to eating less.
Adopt a daily well-being routine of spending five minutes on your mind, five minutes on your body, and five minutes on your heart, as this simple, free plan is considered a perfect well-being strategy for anyone, including children.