Hello and happy Spring!
For this month we would like to spring into wellness and focus on the science behind kindness.
Did you know that kindness can actually change your brain physiologically? Being kind boosts the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. These are the brain chemicals that give you feelings of happiness and well-being and are also what cause the reward centers in our brains to light up. In addition, being kind also releases endorphins which are your body's natural painkillers. “Studies showing that either thinking about kind acts or witnessing kind acts causes several biochemical changes to happen in our brains,” says Dr. Bhawani Ballamudi, a child psychologist. We all know that teaching children to be kind when they are young is super important, but how can we continue this into the teen years?
Volunteering with your kids can be a very helpful way for them to experience feeling good when they are doing things for others. It can also be just as essential to learn and practice self-kindness. In the highly competitive society that we live in, we often are naturally comparing ourselves to others and putting ourselves down. This is especially present during the middle school years but often continues to adulthood. Continue to model your own patience and kindness to yourself and others in front of your kids. Remember kindness can be contagious!
As always please, reach out to us anytime with any questions or concerns you have.
Catherine Nein-School Counselor
catherine_nein@yarmouthschools.org
Chelsea Collupy-Social Worker
chelsea_collupy@yarmouthschools.org
Michelle Napoli-Social Worker
michelle_napoli@yarmouthschools.org
*We can also be reached by calling the main office phone
207-846-2499
