Practicing kindness can change your life and others’.
By Shantai McCray, MA, LPC
Life’s Work Counseling and Consulting
Think about what being kind looks like to you and simply pay it forward. It is in times like these that we are able to draw on strength we didn’t even know we had. When we give out of our own need, we are helping others reclaim their hope in humanity. After all, we could all use a little more hope right now.
According to a new study from the University of Otago in New Zealand, small acts of kindness intended to benefit victims after a tragedy also appear to strengthen the resilience and well-being of the person performing the act of kindness.
In a world where school shootings, suicide and natural disasters have become all too frequent events, trauma is all around us. The average American can’t help but be affected by these unfortunate occurrences in some way, often leaving us to wonder what can we do to help the victims, protect ourselves and our families, or just make it stop. As a nation, we have inadvertently become a picture of resilience. Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. It simply means to “bounce back.” Resilience varies from one person to the next. It can have cultural roots and generational influences.
SELF-CARE AND COMPASSION
During these trying times, self-care and self-compassion are essential to building your own resilience which has been proven to reduce stress and promote healing. This is also a time to practice being kind to one another. As cliché as it may seem, you feel good about yourself when you are able to help someone else. The American Psychological Association’s “Road to Resilience” suggests that one of the top ten ways to foster resilience is to make connections. Read the full article, https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.
Shantai McCray is a licensed professional counselor and owner of Life’s Work Counseling and Consulting. Her mission is to improve access to culturally-competent services while reducing the stigma surrounding mental health issues. www.lifesworkkc.com.
