Acts of Kindness Reduce Loneliness, Boost Mental Health More Than ‘Wellness Breaks’: Study

Volunteers work at a Food Banks Canada distribution center in Toronto on Oct. 24, 2024. The Canadian Press/Chris Young

Showing kindness to others may be the key to reducing feelings of loneliness and is more beneficial for mental health than taking “wellness breaks,” a new study suggests.

Trinity Western University psychology professor Yeeun Archer Lee studied more than 200 participants, randomly assigning them to either perform acts of kindness each day for two weeks or to take daily wellness breaks involving acts of self-care.

Lee said the results show that small acts of kindness are “more effective in reducing loneliness and increasing social contact,” particularly for those who were socially anxious or highly lonely.

“Acts of kindness can lead us to have good interactions with other people, as we see the smile that we put on someone’s face,” she said.

Nearly half of Canadians reported feeling lonely “always” or “sometimes” in 2024, according to data from Statistics Canada. The agency found that approximately 13 percent of Canadians reported always feeling lonely in 2024, while about 35 percent said they sometimes feel lonely.

While most provinces saw an average of 13 percent reporting always feeling lonely, that number was lowest in Newfoundland and Labrador at 12 percent, and it was highest in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick at 14 percent.

Constant feelings of loneliness were highest in the 15 to 24 age group at 17 percent, StatCan numbers show. Those ages 65 and older reported the lowest rate of loneliness at 10 percent.

Demonstrating kindness toward individuals outside of one’s immediate social circle, such as a neighbor or acquaintance, was the most effective in alleviating feelings of loneliness and improving positive social interactions, Lee said of her research.

Acts of kindness “soothe the self-conscious worries that we often carry,” she said, adding that those worries were most common among those with social anxiety or chronic loneliness. She said performing acts of kindness shifts the focus from oneself to others.

“Acts of kindness come from the gesture that we want to care for people,” she said. “When we try to care for others we become less worried about people judging or rejecting us, because our focus is not so much on ourselves.”

She recommended finding small ways to show kindness.

“It doesn’t need to be big, because what people appreciate is the warm intention our acts convey,” she said.