Kindness, caring, thoughtfulness, helpful might be some of the things that come to mind when you think of compassion. It seems to be something that some people have – or not – or have more so in certain situations or for certain people more than others. It’s one of those things that impact us all in one way or another to varying degrees, as the giver or receiver. But why is it important?
Psychologist Michael Poulen, PhD, from the University of Buffalo, conducted studies showing a correlation between compassion and our physical resilience to stress. He found that the impacts of stressful events were erased in compassionate people, compared to those without compassion, which impacted mortality. In his findings, he indicated, “There was no link between stress and health among people who reported helping friends and neighbours in the past year. But among people who didn’t engage in such helping, stressful life events predicted decreased odds of survival over the next five years.”
In two separate studies Poulen found that the stress resilience only applied when participants genuinely cared about those they were helping, and adds, “Helping may be good for you specifically to the extent you’re likely to experience compassion for those you help.”
Acts of compassion, such as volunteering, have also been shown to have positive effects on areas such as blood pressure and glucose levels, obesity, and longevity. It also inspires greater feelings of happiness, connectedness to others, confidence and self-worth.
Other studies show that empathy goes hand-in-hand with compassion, with both being somewhat of a buffer when it comes to dealing with people’s suffering, resulting in reduced stress and feeling overwhelmed, and inspiring you to feel empowered and even energized instead. You get out of your own head and thoughts of the daily grind and into the present moment, whether it’s to lend an ear or support in other ways.
However, as important as it is to support others, self-care is equally important. You don’t want to give to the point where you’re burning yourself out, which is where self-compassion is essential as well.
Elaine Beaumont, University of Salford did a study on midwives – dealing with the joys and tragedies of childbirth – and found that those that practiced self-compassion (versus being self-critical and judgmental) experienced less burnout. And her studies of those in other caretaking professions resulted in similar outcomes, including participants feeling greater optimism, less stress, and greater happiness.
Who would have guessed that compassion can have so much impact on our health and wellness, in addition to that of others? It makes one think of the inspired message of John Lennon in his classic hit song, “All you need is love.” Food for thought!
