A recent study discovered that doing nice things for others can help reduce depression even more effectively than doing things just for fun. The study tested a type of therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps with depression and anxiety by changing negative thought patterns. They tried three methods: doing kind things for strangers, planning enjoyable activities, and thinking differently about stressful thoughts.
The kind acts group and the thought records group both felt better after the study, but the kindness group had extra benefits like feeling more connected to others. Surprisingly, being kind was easy for the participants, and it could help people with different mental health problems.
This is important because connecting with others is crucial for survival, just like avoiding smoking. The researcher believes that acts of kindness are like an extra tool for helping with mental health because it helps us focus less on our own worries and more on others, which is good for our well-being.A study reveals surprising findings about the power of being kind to others, even more effective than traditional methods.