The Healing Power of Kindness
When you think about it, it’s no wonder our society values kindness so much. It does a lot more than brighten someone’s day. Research continues to show that acts of kindness, whether big or small, strengthen mental health by releasing feel-good hormones like oxytocin and serotonin, reducing stress, and even lowering symptoms of depression and anxiety. In short, showing kindness heals both you and the person you’re helping.
Yet kindness can feel rare in today’s world. Life has become increasingly fast-paced and impersonal. It is possible to spend an entire day surrounded by people—at school, work, or on public transit—without having a single positive interaction. Over time, that absence of connection wears on our mental health, like we’re missing a piece from our emotional puzzle. We begin to feel unseen, unvalued, and isolated. Loneliness and disconnection are now recognised as significant risk factors for anxiety, depression, and even physical illness.
That is why creating spaces where kindness is practised and felt is so vital. At Step Forward Health Society, we see the ripple effects of kindness every day in the way our clients support one another, in how our counsellors listen without judgement, and in the safe, compassionate spaces our programs create. The small acts of care that happen there—a conversation, a listening ear, a moment of shared laughter—can remind someone that they matter and belong.
In our Queer Youth Group, for example, young people describe the group as “safe,” “supportive,” and “a space where I can be myself.” For many, that simple act of being welcomed without judgment is life-changing. Moments that start small can grow into confidence, self-acceptance, and connection. Those feelings are the foundation of mental wellness.
The same transformation is visible in our When Love Hurts group, where participants support one another through experiences of relationship abuse. One participant reflected,
“I truly enjoyed the connection and solidarity that was fostered between participants and facilitators. I was nervous going into this, but they created a space that was comfortable to be vulnerable in. They led with such compassion and genuine care.”
That compassion doesn’t stay contained within the group. Every When Love Hurts participant told us their involvement went on to positively affect four or more people in their social circle, showing that kindness multiplies far beyond the original moment.
Kindness does not need to be complicated. It is often as simple as acknowledging that someone is there, listening, or validating their feelings. Even so, its impact on both the giver and recipient is profound. It restores the human connection that so many of us are missing in our daily lives.
This World Kindness Day, we invite you to pause and notice how kindness shows up in your life. Then, keep the cycle going! Text someone, hold the door open, offer your seat on the bus, pour your coworker some coffee, or give to a cause you support. Whatever form your kindness takes, it can be the start of someone’s healing—and your own.