These Random Acts of Kindness Are Good for Your Health

Whether you're the giver or receiver, random acts of kindness are good for your health. Whether you put a quarter in a stranger's parking meter or a stranger puts in a quarter for you, the benefit for both is your improved health, including stress reduction and greater happiness.

Random moments of kindness help connect us to the good in the world, resulting in inner calm. Studies show this boosts our immune system, energy levels, and even cognitive performance. Meanwhile, our heart rates, blood pressure, and cortisol levels drop. That's a pretty significant health improvement for the kind of small favors we're talking about.

For your health-or maybe just to make the world a better place-add random acts of kindness to your daily routine.

To get you started, King Chiropractic Hand & Foot of Wilmington, NC has some suggestions to get started:

• Buy a cup of coffee for the next person in line at the drive-thru.
• Let someone go in front of you in line. It's painless if they have just a few items, and a true gift if they're with a small child.
• Bring little gifts back when you travel. These can be souvenirs or anything you run across.
• Make a meal for someone who's ill.
• Hold the door for someone-or for three someones in a row.
• Write a note to someone you know or even someone you don't know, telling them what you admire about them.
• Pick up trash. Keep a few grocery bags in your trunk and wherever you walk, clean it up. Or pick up the trash in your neighbor's yard while you're doing your own.
• Pay for a cab for someone who shouldn't be driving.
• Give away a ticket instead of reselling it.
• Shovel or rake for the people next door, or an elderly neighbor down the street.
• Compliment people: a busy parent, your boss, your coworker, or the woman behind you in line.
• Fill up the gas tank when you borrow a car from someone.
• Pass along a joke. Make sure it's clean if you're at work or don't know the recipient.
• Give a friend $20 or $50, if you can afford it. Hide it in their wallet if possible. Leave a gift in the mailbox for your mail carrier. They can't accept cash, but snacks are nice, or maybe a coupon for coffee.

There are thousands of ways you can add random acts of kindness to your daily routine, and many are free and take very little time. And you'll be improving your health and the other person's while you add a smile to both your faces.

King Chiropractic Hand & Foot tries to add a smile and improve your outlook with performance-oriented chiropractic care. We would love to help you perform better and run a little faster, or even ease pain from exercise strain. Call King Chiropractic Hand & Foot in Wilmington at (910) 777-7228 to book a session for your health.