Our Immune System; The Holistic Impact of Kindness
Our immune systems are a complex and fascinating network of biological processes. In the final part of my ‘Holistic Impact of Kindness’ series, I will be delving into the technical and physiological responses our bodies have.
The thing about kindness, compassion and altruism is that the effects are measurable. Studies discovered that parents who massaged their babies had lower levels of stress hormones. These stress hormones include Salivary Cortisol, Plasma Norepinephrine and Epinephrine. Each of these can reduce chronic inflammation, improving health dramatically in the present and future.
Simply seeing kindness is enough!
A fact that I always find hard-hitting is that you do not need to be the giver or the receiver of a kind act to benefit. Simply seeing kindness and compassion in action can strengthen your resilience physically and emotionally, as does thinking about love.
A group of students helped to test this theory. Each student had to watch a film about Mother Teresa’s work or dwell on love. After the tasks, there was a significant increase in immune protective salivary immunoglobulin A (S-IgA). This was present in both groups. S-IgA is our first line of defence in our resistance to infection. Aside from the benefit of an improved immune system, positivity and life-affirming actions can also help in these many ways.
Kindness and immune responses
Decreased blood pressure and reduced risk of heart disease:
There are many examples of the physiological response that kindness evokes. One example is that people with positive outlooks are at a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular issues. Conversely, we see an elevated risk for these diseases in people who described themselves as lonely.
Physical resilience and healing:
People who have positive thoughts also have better-coping skills. One example of this manifesting itself is better at healing after a medical setback. Further research also shows that surgical procedures, fractures, and other acute injuries heal faster in optimists.
Improved pain tolerance:
When we think positively, our minds can focus on other things. This results in a person’s experience of pain and discomfort being reduced.
As if the evidence was not compelling enough, positivity is said to increase self-esteem and help to create better relationships. `Good self-esteem enables us to have more confidence in ourselves, regardless of the situation we find ourselves in. This in turn, directly correlates to an improved social life. In addition, research shows that people with strong social connections could gain up to nine additional years.
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All my love,
Jayney
