Kindness—it’s infectious!

We’ve all seen the viral videos and stories on social media: the young kid who saves up allowance money to donate to someone in need, the drive-through line where patrons pay for the car behind them, the strangers who show up with gifts to a birthday party for a kid who’s been bullied. While such posts may make you pause for a minute in your scrolling, their effect is likely much deeper.

When we see kindness in action, it can actually have a physical impact on our bodies! Kindness helps us release the hormones serotonin and oxytocin—both of which have a major influence on our mood and mental health. That’s part of the reason why, if you’re one of those cars in the drive-through line, you may be inspired to keep passing on the kindness to the car behind you!

But, experiencing and spreading kindness doesn’t have to just be a one-time, random occasion. By using the positivity that kindness can bring to you, you can find motivation to keep building kindness into your daily routine—which can have a transformative effect on both your personal and professional lives.

This Random Acts of Kindness Week, let’s look at just a few of the benefits of centering kindness in your life:

Positive outlook

Being good to others just feels good! And that feeling can fuel your overall mindset. With a better outlook, you can stay focused at work, be more productive and, ultimately, have more success striving for your goals.

Strengthened relationships

When you’re bringing positivity to those around you, they’ll certainly notice and respond. In the workplace, for instance, when you become known as the associate with a good attitude who’s always up for being a team player, your co-workers will appreciate you and you may even help pave your own path toward a promotion.

Boost of confidence

When you feel good about what you’re putting out into the world, you’re going to walk a little bit taller. Confidence can help you become a better and more driven employee, and a more effective leader.

Community investment

If you were inspired by another person’s act of kindness, you’re certainly going to be inspiring your own followers! Just one act of kindness a day can have a tremendous ripple effect throughout your community—now, imagine if you led with kindness every single day. The impact can be truly remarkable!