Choosing Kindness in Everyday Life

Nurturing Humanity in a Hectic World - By Heather Hepurn

Reading time: 3 minutes

When was the last time a stranger greeted you will a smile or someone did something out of the blue, that made you feel a little more human?

How did this make you feel immediately after and was it something so rare, that you mentioned it to someone else after?

In everyday life, we often are pulled to place our energy in so many places and to be available 24/7. With this, we often miss out on these human interactions that bring a little more kindness and humanity into this hectic world.

From a mental health aspect, the constant battle of giving ourselves to work, family and other commitments also makes us drained, depressed, overwhelmed. overeat and in a state of constant high levels of cortisol ( The stress hormone) that causes many of the serious mental and physical illnesses we suffer today.

With many of the leading healthcare studies (Such as Harvard and Frontier) linking high levels of cortisol with early death or diseases, perhaps it's time to be kinder to ourselves and others in everyday life.

So with that being said, how do we start?

Perhaps the most simple option is focus on being present fully to this moment. Look around you, where are you?

The fact that you're reading this in Om yoga magazine, means you are probably aware of mindfulness and the benefit of staying present.

But do you consciously put it into practice?

So I invite you to do these small 3 things and make them conscious habits to your daily life

Set time for yourself everyday to enjoy no distractions. This means either getting up an hour earlier to enjoy a little me time before starting the day with your favourite hot beverage and book. Or taking an hour out of your day to visit a yoga studio, go for a run or do something that makes you feel good. When we do things we enjoy, we are more likely to be present.
Make a conscious effort to release your jaw and shoulders and smile more. You never know what difference it could make.
Learn to listen more. The kindest thing on top of everything is the ability to listen. This means both to your inner self as well as others who surround you.