One in four people in the world have been affected by a mental illness at some stage of their lives. Some people suffer from several mental diseases. Detection, treatment and healing for all is still a pipedream. That is the sorry state of affairs of mental health, which is a critical component of holistic well-being. In this context, acts of kindness and compassion becomes the need of the hour. Reason is, mental illnesses require a patient understanding of the patient without judgement or discrimination. Oftentimes our popular culture like movies and entertainment media victimize the mentally ill and take an unsympathetic attitude towards the suffering people. This has to change.
Every year, November 13 is observed as World Kindness Day. This is done to highlight the good deeds in the community and focus on the positive power of being kind to fellow beings. Kindness is what helps bridge the many gaps that we have created between ourselves, such as race, religion, politics, gender and location. Kindness Cards are circulated to mark the day, recognizing acts of kindness done by individuals. Kindness Marches are also conducted in cities around the world. The Day was introduced by a coalition of kindness NGOs of nations known as the World Kindness Movement in 1998. Several countries came to adopt the Day over the years. As of now it is an unofficial day of observance but the Kindness Movement hopes to gain official recognition for the Day by the United Nations.
While the objective of World Kindness Day is to spread kindness in the world, it is important to note that kindness comes in the small gestures. We can try to be kind as well as encourage kindness in children and fellow citizens….be it in helping parents at home with the chores or enquiring after an ailing grandparent or complimenting others on their help or generally burdening the load of those around you.
Kindness and sensitive understanding of people are the hallmarks of a good counsellor or therapist. She must be able to make a suffering person open out and also listen carefully in order to get to the root cause of the illness. And once it is identified, the therapist must continue the compassionate approach by making the patient feel comfortable and cared for. This can go a long way in the healing process, especially when we are talking of ailments that often do not have clinical treatment that resort to medication and hospitalization. Kindness is defined by doing something towards yourself and others, motivated by genuine desire to make a positive difference. Research shows that kindness is an antidote to isolation and creates a sense of belonging. It helps reduce stress, brings a fresh perspective to life and nurtures bonds. Also of prime importance is kindness to oneself. This will prevent living with a lack of self-worth and help boost our self-esteem. Kindness can improve feelings of confidence and optimism in people.
It is therefore imperative that for the holistic wellbeing of society, we must practice the art of being kind and considerate towards fellow beings.
