“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” — Henry James

While I drove home from the gas station the other day, an ad came on the radio, warning listeners to take care of their mental health.

First, the ad advised the usual suspects for sound mental health, such as deep breathing and exercise.

But then, almost as an aside, it advised listeners to do something kind for another person.

I wasn’t sure I’d heard that one before, so I decided to look it up.

Turns out, plenty of research has proven the physical, emotional, and social benefits of being kind.

The Mayo Clinic says performing acts of kindness can reduce blood pressure and the stress-producing hormone cortisol. It can boost serotonin and dopamine in the brain, making you feel better emotionally.

People who provide kindness in a balanced way even tend to live longer.

Live longer!

The American Psychiatric Association, citing a University of Ohio study, says that kindness, participating in social activities, and participating in behavioral therapy all showed mental health benefits, but kindness showed the greatest benefits for social connection, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.

And the Mental Health Foundation says being kind can improve self-esteem, create a sense of belonging, and boost optimism.

This country — indeed, much of the world — has been ravaged by mental illness and acts of unkindness.

The National Institute of Mental Health says one in five Americans live with a mental illness, ranging from mild anxiety or depression to serious conditions such as schizophrenia. Women and young adults are most likely to struggle with a mental illness.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention says nearly 50,000 Americans died by suicide in 2022, making suicide the nation’s 11th-leading cause of death. Health professionals recorded another 1.6 million suicide attempts.

Meanwhile, data compiled by the journal Information Systems Research shows negative Facebook business page posts outweigh positive Facebook business page posts two-to-one. The National Library of Medicine from the National Institutes for Health says that, while most content on X, formerly known as Twitter, is positive, negative content is far more likely to be shared.

So, for some reason, we’re hardwired both to benefit from acts of kindness and to spread unkindness.

God and Satan working in us simultaneously.

I’ve been trying to lose weight lately to keep up on my New Year’s resolutions, on which I am far, far, far behind.

I’ve found that getting started working out is the hardest part. If I can force myself to get in a workout before work on a Monday, I am far more likely to work out again on Tuesday. And, if I work out on Tuesday, I am even more likely to work out Wednesday, and so on until working out becomes a habit and then I’m doing it every day.

But, boy, is that Monday a real pain in the rear.

I think kindness could be the same way.

You have to force yourself to be kind once, then twice, then a third time, until it becomes a habit, and it becomes easier and easier as you go along.

Instead of leaving no tip for the sloppy waitress at a restaurant, you’ll leave a bigger tip because you’ll think the waitress might just be having a bad day. Instead of blocking out that person trying to merge in traffic, you’ll hold up to let him or her in, because you know the five or so seconds later you’ll be don’t really matter.

Maybe you’ll volunteer somewhere. Maybe you’ll donate to a charity. Maybe you’ll help your elderly neighbor shovel his or her driveway this winter.

And, perhaps most importantly, you’ll bite your tongue when you want to post something nasty online and instead post something that spreads joy, not hate. Or, better yet, you’ll ask a question to try to understand why the person to whom you want to respond feels the way they do, so you might gain a little understanding, and that can breed compassion.

One thing all of the research I found about being kind had in common: They all agreed kindness spreads.

When you do something kind for someone else, that someone else is more likely to do something kind for yet another person, and that yet another person is more likely to do something kind for still more people, and so on and so on.

It’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation. I don’t know whether our struggles with mental illness have caused wildfires of hate, or whether the wildfires of hate have caused our struggles with mental illness.

But I do know the antidote, and that is kindness.

Justin A. Hinkley can be reached at 989-354-3112 or jhinkley@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on X @JustinHinkley.