Wellfie Wednesday Tip #74: It's Good to be Good, Pt. 2

Happy Wellfie Wednesday! Welcome back! This week's post is brought to you by @AaronPerezPT.

     My last post on #WellfieWednesday discussed the health benefits of giving. Considering yesterday was #GivingTuesday and last week was Thanksgiving, I thought I’d continue with that theme.  I won’t rehash all the super awesome health benefits of giving, but just know that there are lots. If you’re really interested, check out this ted talk, this podcast, or website.  

giving tuesday.jpg

     Instead, I’ll keep this short and sweet, and simply ask you wonderful readers to give to an awesome charity that does a lot of good for a lot of people. That charity is STAND: The Haiti Project. STAND stands for Sustainable Therapy And New Development. A few times a year a fun-loving, caring, and passionate multidisciplinary healthcare team provides medical services to the people of Haiti who otherwise would not receive them. I was fortunate to have recently volunteered with this group and can personally attest to the amazing work that they do.

     #GetPT1st's own @SeanHagey recently started a fundraiser supporting STAND. As of writing this post, he is only $200 away from his $1,000 goal. Hopefully, this post inspires you to donate to his cause supporting STAND. Whether you donate to STAND or another charity, thank you.

Give a little, and get so much more in return. Have an awesome week! 

     Thanks again for all of the #WellfieWednesday support, be sure to post your pictures this week and tag the WW crew members in your post (@TheFuelPhysio@Eric_in_AmERICa@AaronPerezPT@DianaKlatt@kuhnalyssa_spt) and keep the wave of healthy change going!

Wellness Wednesday Tip #11: Perform a Random Act of Kindness

Happy #WellfieWednesday friends!

     This week’s tip is focusing on improving your mental and emotional wellness - perform a random act of kindness! Performing a small act of generosity or compassion is a quick and easy way to boost your emotions without having to invest a significant amount of time, energy, or effort. It could be as simple as giving a co-worker a genuine compliment, calling a family member just to tell them you love them, or paying for the person’s coffee behind you in the Starbucks drive-thru. It’s not about the size of the act; it’s about the personal impact it has on the recipient. 

     Research shows that the “giver” can also experience a release of dopamine2 and/or oxytocin1 following the act of kindness, elevating your emotional and mental state. Whatever act you decide to do there is one important consideration: a random act of kindness must be performed unselfishly, and therefore you must not expect it to be repaid. Expectations of repayment change the intrinsic motivation of the act and negate its original intention. 

     So give it a shot, and let us know how it goes! Thanks again for all of the #WellfieWednesday support, be sure to post your pictures again this week and tag Patrick (@PBernerSPT) or myself (@Eric_in_AmERICa) and keep the wave of healthy change going!

More ideas: 
https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas
https://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/101-easy-ideas-for-random-acts-of-kindness?utm_term=.anL8kRmQJ#.pn82W69XR

- Dr. Eric Uveges, PT, DPT

- Dr. Patrick Berner, PT, DPT

References:
1.    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/priya-advani/random-acts-of-kindness_b_3412718.html
2.    http://www.medicaldaily.com/random-acts-kindness-sweet-emotion-helping-others-dopamine-levels-383563