05/13/2026
Well-being Wednesdays w/ Tami
May 13, 2026
Kindness is not usually the first thing that comes to mind when I think of resilience. However, choosing kindness is incredibly effective in helping us bounce back from adversity. Since resilience requires proactive effort instead of simply enduring, compassionate acts have such a positive impact on our recovery for both us and others. Kindness breeds happiness and multiplies when you share it.
How does cultivating kindness build resilience?
• Fosters security through relationships and community
• Provides a sense of purpose
• Promotes a growth mindset
• Calms the nervous system
• Rewiring our brain for safety
• Helps shift our perspective and quiets ruminations
• Boosts helpful hormones
• Lowers BP and cortisol
• Increases emotional flexibility and stability
Demonstrating compassion towards others strengthens friendships and builds hope. It helps everyone feel more in control even in chaotic situations. Kindness builds a sense of purpose with a goal to genuinely help. Intentional consideration of others takes our focus from problems to solutions. It builds strength, courage, and flexibility which are integral in resilience. Through helping others, we begin to see meaning in our own struggles.
Showing softness to ourselves helps to recover from setbacks more quickly. By choosing to replace criticism with compassion, we build a positive, growth mindset. Self-compassion helps our brains rewire for safety and quiets ruminations. Empathy and understanding that we all make mistakes helps to increase the mental energy we need to stand back up. Kindness lowers stress and body respond physically with positive hormonal and blood pressure changes.
Emotionally, we become more optimistic, hopeful, and our self-worth increases.
Demonstrating kindness to ourselves and others is one of the most valuable choices we can make to develop resilience.
Enjoy this fascinating 2-minute video about the physical changes that happen to the body when we show kindness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9UByLyOjBM
