Looking for the Key to Happiness? Try Kindness

Looking for the Key to Happiness? Try Kindness

Two years ago, FNBO instituted a campaign to promote being kind. Our Be Kind campaign included a contest encouraging people to recognize teachers for spreading random acts of kindness.

After receiving nearly two hundred entries and multiple engagements on social media posts, we quickly learned one thing:  kindness is cool.

Why It’s Important to Be Kind

When it comes to kindness, businesses have certainly learned the power of a good deed.  According to the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report, 55 percent of consumers trust brands more when they treat customers well and 68 percent prefer to do business with a brand that gives back to society.

However, a preference for kindness extends well beyond business boundaries and can have a profound impact on our day-to-day lives. Research conducted by Yale psychologist Karen Wynn, director of the Infant Cognition Center, confirms that human beings are born with a desire to receive kindness. When babies were shown a video of puppets acting in both kind and unkind ways, more than three-fourths preferred the nice puppet when offered a choice between the two.

Random acts of kindness have also been noted to relieve pain, reduce stress and elevate mood.

In a similar way, we also have an internal need to do good. A Harvard Business School study reveals that, out of 136 countries, residents who contributed financially to charities were happiest overall.

Maybe it’s because our brains release oxytocin when we produce acts of kindness. This all-important hormone aids in lowering blood pressure and improves heart health. So in essence, being kind is good for the heart both emotionally and physically.

Kindness doesn’t always have to be a big act either. Studies show that something as simple as smiling at a stranger when passing by can make someone feel more connected and ease feelings of loneliness.

Best of all, kindness is contagious. One act of random kindness inspires others to do the same. And if you’re wondering where kindness starts, you can look pretty close to home. Eighty-five percent of children say that their parents are the ones who inspire them to be kind.

FNBO Believes in Being Kind

Our kindness campaigns have taught us something important: people like being kind and giving back to their communities. With this in mind, we expanded our Be Kind movement to help others spread kindness.

This year, we launched the Be Kind Visa Debit Cards. By carrying and using these cards for everyday purchases, you’ll be supporting one of two valuable organizations.

Youth Frontiers is committed to providing schools with experiences that inspire character, civility and community. Our partnership supports Kindness Retreats for local youth. These programs focus on empowering participants to be “everyday heroes” by learning to include others, to be respectful and to make their schools a better place.

An equally aspiring organization, Boys Town has been operating since 1917 and now offers a hotline providing free counseling services year round, 24 hours a day.  The hotline fields approximately 150,000 contacts annually, the majority related to suicide and other mental health issues.

As part of the Be Kind Visa Debit Card program, FNBO donates to worthy causes like these, including donations of nearly $3 million to non-profit organizations dedicated to empowering females with the strength, confidence and skills necessary to succeed in all aspects of life.

At FNBO, we love promoting kindness.  Afterall, kindness is free, so why not spread it.