More Kindness, Please

Exercise your “compassion muscles” by incorporating acts of kindness into your life on a regular basis. Not only will you help others, but you’ll feel better, too. Yep, being kind actually has proven health benefits. Acts of kindness release the hormone oxytocin, which in turn releases the chemical nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels and can protect the heart by lowering blood pressure. Oxytocin also reduces levels of free radicals and inflammation in the cardiovascular system. Research from Emory University revealed that being kind to others makes the pleasure and reward centers in your own brain light up, which is often referred to as the “helper’s high.”

A University of British Columbia study took a group of highly anxious people and asked them to perform at least six acts of kindness per week. Study participants experienced significant improvement in just one month: more positive moods, relationship satisfaction and even a decrease in social avoidance in those who were typically socially anxious. Being kind may even help you live longer. People 55 and older who volunteer for two or more organizations have a 44 percent lower likelihood of dying early.

Learn To Say “No”

If you constantly fi nd yourself overcommitted, even to positive things like helping with your kids’ school events, it’s time you learned to say “no” more often—with a smile, of course.

A study in the Journal of Consumer Research revealed that saying “I don’t” instead of “I can’t” made it easier for participants to excuse themselves from unwanted commitments. “I can’t” sounds like an excuse and “I don’t” implies conviction and personal boundaries. The key is realizing that you’re the only person responsible for setting your own boundaries, and you aren’t responsible for anyone else’s reactions.

Your daughter’s teacher may be disappointed you’re not bringing four dozen homemade cupcakes, but her reaction is not your responsibility.

Pile On The Fruits And Veggies

We’re supposed to fill two-thirds of the plate with veggies, but honestly, when was the last time you did that?

Someone consuming 2,000 calories a day should have four to five servings of veggies a day and the same number of servings of fruits. (If that sounds like entirely too much to you, this is a sign you’re skimping on these important food groups!)

Read A Book (Or Two Or Three...)

One in four Americans doesn’t read books at all, and of those who do, half read fewer than four books a year. Even more disturbing, the reading ability of the average American is only at an eighth- or ninth-grade level.

The best way to improve those dismal statistics? Read more! A study conducted at Emory University found that reading a novel can improve brain function on multiple levels, so for the sake of a healthy brain, pick up a book, and then another, and then another.

If you find digital books more appealing, all the better. A Pew Research study discovered that people who read on a tablet device read more books per year.