Why Kindness is The Superpower You Didn't Know You Had with Claudia Hammond #312

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Health & Fitness, Medicine, Alternative Health, Mental Health

4.8 • 10.9K Ratings

🗓️ 16 November 2022

⏱️ 108 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When was the last time someone was kind to you – or you did something kind for someone else? I’m sure you won’t have to think back far to find a few examples. And that’s because the world is a much kinder place than we might think. Today’s guest, Claudia Hammond, is an award-winning broadcaster, author, and psychology lecturer at the University of Sussex. In her latest book, The Keys to Kindness, she’s on a mission to encourage us to look out for the acts of kindness that are all around us. In this conversation, she shares the results of the world’s largest in-depth study on kindness, and highlights the wide range of mental and physical health benefits for both giver and receiver. We talk about what kindness and compassion really mean, and the huge range of ways we can make a difference. We discuss the fears and obstacles that prevent people from being kind, how to overcome them, and why we should practice more kindness in relationships, as well as in the workplace. Among many other topics, we also look at unkindness on social media, why empathy is a skill you can learn, and how being kind to others starts with being kind to yourself. I sometimes think kindness has a PR problem. It’s something we see as a bit throwaway, undervaluing it at best, dismissing it as ‘soft’ at worst. But by bringing us the psychology and neuroscience on why kindness matters, Claudia provides a powerful call to action to notice and create more of it in daily life. I hope this conversation inspires you to rise to the challenge. Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore or https://fblm.supercast.com. Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/312 DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Kindness does so many things for us and there's loads of evidence that receiving an act of kindness improves your well-being.
0:06.3	And then there's even more evidence that it improves the well-being of the person who is the giver, if you like, that it makes them feel good too.
0:14.0	It will even get you the things you want. It will improve relationships. It will improve mental health. So why not do it?
0:21.0	Before we get started, just wanted to let you know that my latest book, Happy Minds, Happy
0:27.2	10 Simple Ways to Feel Great Every Day, is available to buy all over the world in the UK,
0:33.6	America, Canada, Australia, India. To name just a few countries, it's available as a paperback,
0:40.4	e-book, and as an audiobook, which I am narrating. And if you enjoy my weekly podcast, I really think
0:46.7	you are going to enjoy this book. Feedback has been truly wonderful. Do pick up your own copy
0:51.9	if you have not done so yet. And if you enjoy the book, as we approach the festive season,
0:57.1	why not consider gifting it to someone in your life?
1:00.8	Now, on to this week's episode.
1:03.8	When was the last time that someone was kind to you?
1:08.1	Or you did something kind for someone else?
1:12.7	Well, I'm sure you won't have to think back too far to find a few examples. And that's because the world is a much kind of place that we
1:18.8	might think. Today's guest, Claudia Hammond, is an award-winning broadcaster and psychology lecturer
1:25.4	at the University of Sussex. She has just published her latest
1:29.8	book, The Keys to Kindness, and in it, she's on a mission to elevate kindness in the world around
1:36.6	us. In our conversation, she shares the results of the world's largest in-depth study on kindness
1:43.7	and highlights the wide range of mental
1:47.0	and physical health benefits for both giver and receiver. Yes, that's right.
1:52.0	Kindness is good for your physical health and your mental well-being.
1:57.0	We talk about what kindness and compassion really mean, the wide variety of ways in which
	...

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