Lackland ISD Counselors Practice Kindness and Reduce Stress
By practicing kindness, you can experience mental and physical changes that will lower stress levels and increase the production of feel-good hormones.
High school counselors promote kindness
Lackland ISD’s Stacey JR/SR High School counselors, Ms. Nicholson and Mrs. Castillo, focused on the theme of kindness by working with 6th grade students in an activity to promote and understand kindness. Students wrote down on sticky notes examples of kindness they witnessed. The sticky notes were displayed on a bulletin board in the middle school hallway.
Practicing the art of kindness
The Stacey JR/SR High School counselors helped students see the benefits of kindness. Similarly, the Mayo Health Clinic System, published an article about how kindness affects the body and mind. “The Art of Kindness,” by Steve Siegle, L.P.C. Behavioral Health, discusses the benefits of kindness.
- Kindness is good for the body: Practicing kindness can increase self-esteem, empathy and compassion, and improve mood.
- Kindness can decrease blood pressure and cortisol, a stress hormone, which directly impacts stress levels.
- The art of being kind can increase your sense of connectivity with others, which can directly impact loneliness, improve low mood and enhance relationships in general
In addition, kindness is also good for the mind. Your brain can change in a positive way. For example, the neurotransmitters in the brain that give you a sense of well-being and satisfaction light up. When you practice kindness, your body’s natural pain killer also can be released.
Learn more about what school counselors do and how they support students.
