Today's Article

"Kindness is really an expression of care, and what ends up happening is it can3 induce an incredible amount of positive emotional states."

Pain management Dr. Trishul Kapoor with Cleveland Clinic says when that positivity floods our brains, it can 4release feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin and can actually 5disrupt 6pain pathways and reduce overall 7perception of that pain.

"In the same sense, kindness becomes almost a sort of a 8life hack, and we call it the 9helper's high, to be able to have that same mechanism to have benefit in your overall mental health and well-being."

Kapoor says being kind can also increase levels of hormones like oxytocin, which can 10dilate 11blood vessels and lower 12blood pressure.

And the best part is the acts of kindness that may bring relief can also be simple, like getting involved in the community, volunteering, giving financially, or giving of your time to help others.

Even saying hello or greeting someone else can go a long way.

"To treat any kind of condition, it's more than just medications and 13interventions. It needs to be treated 14holistically because life outside of an appointment room or a hospital is quite large, and we can't always control all of that with a medication or a specific treatment."