Kindness Protects DNA and Boosts Health and Happiness
The surprising biological benefits of being kind
You are an incredibly complex being, with a slew of physical, mental and environmental factors contributing to your health and happiness — or lack thereof. In recent years, it’s become clear that one of the key factors — the simplest acts of kindness — can have outsized positive effects on your health and happiness and even how long you live. Others will benefit from your kindness, too.
Along with related attributes like gratitude and forgiveness, kindness has been shown by scientific study to be a pillar of individual wellness, and the well-being of society overall, authors of the new book The Biology of Kindness contend. We’ll get to specific actions you can take, but first let’s look at the evidence and conclusions.
This is not just about feeling good. Kind acts positively affect your mind and your body, all the way down to your DNA—the blueprints for your very existence.
Kindness cultivates good mental, emotional and spiritual juju that nurtures physical health, including the ability to resist chronic diseases and how fast or slow the mind and body age, the authors explain. Our DNA is inherited and inherently fixed—sort of. But how genes express themselves, and how our genetic material ages…
