Be kind with words and actions - you can literally affect someone's health!

Lately I've been thinking about the fact that we can give so much joy and pleasure to one another, as well as a good amount of grief.

As humans, we are undeniably social creatures. In fact, it is because of this quality that we have been so evolutionarily successful. Just as killer whales hunt in pods and wolves in packs, we form societies in which we take on different roles and therefore must rely on one another.

This means that we are fundamentally bound to each other and this bond can even been observed on the biological level. Nature has designed us to care deeply about what others think, say, and communicate. In fact, humans are the only organisms to develop species-specific tools such as language and history. We have almost twice as many muscles in our faces to express complex emotion as our close genetic relatives the chimps and a part of our brains is specifically dedicated to facial recognition and detection.

Obviously evolution has invested a lot in us so that we are able to communicate with each other. It does so by not only giving us the biological machinery to do so, but also hormones and neurotransmitters to sub-consciously drive our behavior in our interactions. For instance, it’s been proven that when we are lonely, cortisol (the stress hormone) is released and persistently high-levels of this hormone negatively impacts our health and well-being. Research has shown that social isolation and loneliness literally kills because we are hardwired to need and care about one another. The devastating effects of bullying and ostracism are also well-known.

Therefore, given all the evidence, to pretend that we don’t need each other or don’t affect each other with our words and actions is to be disingenuous. And in our modern times where opinions and self-expression is so celebrated, perhaps we should also learn to be kinder and more considerate to one another. After all, which one hasn't changed their opinion or realized an opinion was simply due to passing mood?

On that note, I've found a very good formula that that can be used to evaluate your opinion before you share it. Before expressing your opinion, consider the following:

Is what I'm saying:

1. True?
2. Kind?
3. Necessary/Helpful?

I hope this post has helped you think about being kinder with your words and actions. Remember - we are as much represented by the things we say and do as by the things we don't say and don't do!

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Welcome to my blog! Here I explore topics such as mindfulness, health, training, nutrition and psychology. I'm a neuroscientist turned yoga teacher, and in my pastime, I'm an avid rock climber, freediver and traveler so expect occasional forays into those topics too.