Rebuilding Our Nigerian Society Through An Act Of Kindness -By Caleb Onah

This is a phrase every Nigerian child used to hear in childhood. “Treat others the way you would like to be treated.” But kindness not only benefits the person doing it, but it also has a profound effect on our mental health. We know that when one person or another feels depressed and mistreated, it can have devastating effects on many areas of life. That is why many adults will never forget their childhood or school days when someone was cruel or rude to them.

In showing kindness and expressing love to others, I enjoy owning my own tech and psychosocial support business in which making people happy, finding new to their life and giving hope to the demoralised is my priority. Also, I love interacting with people and inspiring them to believe in themselves more, giving them hope and new perspectives to see things and the world around them. This has been my passion since childhood. In light of recent economic difficulties, I run a successful digital business called Besancon Tech Limited. Combining digital marketing, web development, training academies and other digital marketing-related services with psychosocial support. I have always believed in the power of kindness to positively impact not only ourselves but also those around us. My loyal clients love to read my positive reassurance and leave with a smile on their face at the end of their treatment session(s). However, the economic downturn and difficulties caused by the new naira banknote policy in Nigeria present a challenge that goes beyond the financial aspect. Obviously, in recent times, rendering optimal psychosocial service has been limited and difficult lately

As an elder and first child in my home, having more time with my siblings has been wonderful, but I knew it was important for them and me to have some purpose and structure to our lives. My younger sister, Sharon and I both have some form of mental health challenges – struggling with depression wasn’t an easy task to deal with, and we know how vital it is for our minds to keep occupied with a positive and conflicting thoughts. We had to think and developed ways to do this, coming up with the idea of rendering 50% discount price on every service was perfect and after which we send out cards and emails with positive messages to anyone, we felt could benefit from a kind word; friends, neighbours and relatives.

Advising for the future, reminding people of how great they really are, how special they could be and how resilience they are up till now, anything that will make them smile and bring a bit of happiness to their day considering the demand of living in Nigeria at this time. We don’t want people to feel isolated, stress and traumatise even though we have to stress ourselves to an extent, we can still take the opportunity to be closer than ever, providing some form of psychosocial support to everyone no matter their status or background. Seeing an increase in kindness, we started advertising many of our service discounts in the local media, we received such positive feedback that we have practically turned our salon into a psychosocial centre for clients.

Sharon has shown incredible concentration and resilience. At 18, she completed over 60% of her required commercials in one week. This was known through client feedbacks from her mobile and social messaging and marketing, while proving love and support to her friends and followers. Not because she was asked to, but because she is truly happy when she brings sunshine, hope and strength into the lives of others. People value their packages and services so much that they raise the bar for more patronage. However, it shown that, hearing a description of how a discounted service can make a difference for someone can motivate them to try to help others. Being kinder to each other is like throwing a pebble into water. Ripples and kindness inspire others to be kind. Kindness has a unique reproductive power regardless of marital status, religion, or level of education. The more we work individually, the more collectively we become, and helping each other becomes the discover themselves, not just charity.

Of course, this is a difficult time for everyone, but learning valuable life lessons through kindness will help heal the wounds. Helping others makes the world a better, safer and more peaceful place, regardless of where we come from, our colour or our ethnicity. We’re proud of the hard work and creativity we put into our everyday task to support people who need a little more human connection than ever before, to get it done now. In support of this, Aesop, the Greek narrator and storyteller, said: “No act of kindness – no matter how small – is wasted.” Turns out he was right. Acts of kindness not only benefit those who receive them, but science has proven that there are amazing health benefits for those who perform these acts and even those who are simply witness the act. Reported physical health benefits include increased longevity, more energy, pain relief, and lower blood pressure.

Mental health benefits show increased communal affection, empathy, compassion, and gratitude. In my experience, the mental health benefits of those who perform acts of kindness can be beneficial in the following ways:

Reduce stress and anxiety: Kindness has been shown to increase self-esteem, empathy, and compassion, while improving mood. It can lower levels of cortisol in our brain, a stress hormone that directly affects blood pressure and stress levels. People who give in a balanced way also tend to be healthier and live longer. Showing kind deeds releases the feel-good hormone oxytocin, which boosts self-esteem and optimism. This, along with lower cortisol levels, helps reduce stress and anxiety and can improve mood.

Improves stability: Practicing kindness can change activity in ones’ prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that processes all negative emotions, such as shame, guilt, and anger. Self-hate – so these feelings can often be mitigated. In addition, happiness, peace, and immunity are strengthened, increasing resilience and improving the ability to cope with difficult times. What’s more, research shows that the hypothalamus is activated when we do or receive simple kindnesses. This is the area of ​​the brain that regulates many bodily functions, including sleep, and is an important factor in maintaining good mental health.

Strengthen our body’s immunity: When immunity is increased, there is no doubt our body will always be healthy and have the ability to prevent disease. Just engaging in good deeds increases the body’s immunity. Serotonin is also increased, which regulates mood and increases resilience in the brain. Kindness to others releases endorphins that activate the brain’s pleasure centres. This phenomenon is called “helper euphoria” and causes the us to feel like a receiver rather than a giver.

Everything from life satisfaction to self-actualisation (realizing one’s potential) improves when we give of ourselves, the little we have and can afford. It also significantly improves physical health, delays mortality, and reduces depression. Increased feelings of well-being, happiness and positivity, as well as positive emotions and luck. Above all, I hope that today we all do kindness to those around us as little and as often as possible.

Caleb Onah

Digital Psychologist

calebandonah@gmail.com