Study shows being a kind person improves your health

Leaving the door open for someone, buying a colleague lunch, helping an elderly person and many other kind acts can make you healthier and happier.

A recent study in the journal Psychological Bulletin asserts that showing kindness to others and lending a hand to those in need might be beneficial to your health and well-being.

Kind people have antibodies that helps them fight diseases

According to scientific research, compassionate people have higher levels of the disease-fighting antibody immunoglobulin A in their saliva.

Brain scans of compassionate people indicate that generosity not only strengthened their immune systems but also helped them to be less stressed, have improved mental health, and feel a higher sense of self-worth.

Random acts of kindness are more rewarding than planned acts

When it comes to acts of kindness that were more mentally rewarding, random and unplanned actions ranked highly.

Random acts of kindness, like helping a helpless neighbour or paying a stranger's fare on a bus were found to be more strongly connected with the overall well-being than formal prosocial action, such as scheduled volunteering for a charity.

You are happier when you are less self centred.

Here is the simple reason why you have to help people, it is a temporary escape from your own problems. No matter how tiny or fleeting your actions are, giving, volunteering, donating, and performing gestures of kindness allows you to connect with other people and animals in a profoundly meaningful and humane way.

Bryant P.H. Hui, an associate professor from the University of Hong Kong, and his colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of 201 independent studies that examined the relationship between prosocial behaviour and well-being. Although, the link between the two was modest, it was nevertheless significant.

This research and these reasons are why kindness is important.