Hope you had a Happy Halloween! If you’re dragging your feet today, you’re not alone. The decorations, the costumes, and the sugar-highs can be a lot.
At the same time, Halloween sparks a special sense of joy and community for me. Of course, kids bubble with glee as they collect their candy. Yet it’s also special to witness the smiles of the adults handing out candy. They delight in seeing the costumes and providing a sweet treat to overjoyed kids. As a parent, Halloween feels like a unique holiday to bring the neighborhood together in a simple act of giving and receiving joy.
Turns out, noticing acts of kindness is a powerful way to boost our mood. From a stranger's smile to a friend's compliment, these gestures can warm your heart and even improve your emotional and physical health. Noticing acts of kindness releases oxytocin, which fills your body with feelings of optimism and positive self-esteem, while also reducing your blood pressure and improve your heart health.
On a dull day, here’s three strategies for tapping into kindness to boost your mood:
Leo Buscaglia, author, professor, and “ambassador of love”, notes the power of the simple moments in our lives:
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
Jenny Lawson, journalist, author and blogger, encourages us to recognize the small moments that bring us joy:
It is an amazing gift to be able to recognize that the things that make you the happiest are so much easier to grasp than you thought. There is such freedom in being able to celebrate and appreciate the unique moments that recharge you and give you peace and joy.
from Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things
What acts of kindness have you witnessed recently?
Continue this reflection in the Moment for Parents app.