Why Doing Something Nice Makes Everyone Happier, Including You

Renee Dutton shares how simple acts of kindness can heal, connect, and inspire—and how your story could be part of The Kindness Effect global movement.

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Renee Dutton,

Founder of The Global Kindness Movement, reflects on the transformative power of small, intentional acts of kindness. She explains how kindness positively impacts not just the giver and receiver, but also anyone who witnesses it—backed by science and real-life experience. Sharing her own journey of healing through kindness, Renee encourages readers to start with simple actions and invites them to submit their stories to The Kindness Effect book series.

Let’s start with something simple and powerful.
Kindness doesn’t just help the person on the receiving end. It helps the one who gives it and even the one who watches it.

I’ve seen it. I’ve felt it. And maybe you have too.

That little lift you get when you hold the door and someone smiles with genuine gratitude.
That warmth when you see a stranger help someone struggling with their bags.
Or the way your heart softens when you witness someone being truly seen, maybe for the first time in a long time.

These moments matter.
Not because they’re "nice," but because they change something in us.

There’s actual science behind it. When we do something kind or witness it, our bodies release serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. These are the chemicals that reduce stress, build connection, and make us feel good.

Kindness literally makes us feel better. Not just the receiver. The giver. The observer. Everyone.

That’s the ripple. And in a world that often feels divided, uncertain, or rushed, it’s those small, intentional moments that bring us back to what matters.

Sometimes people think they need to do something huge to make a difference. But that’s not true.
It starts with awareness. With noticing. With a choice to care.

That’s how I found my way back after one of the hardest chapters of my life—through kindness. Not grand gestures, just small, real ones. Moments where I showed up for someone else, and in doing so, found myself again.

So if you’re wondering how to feel better, how to reconnect, how to make a difference, start there.
Do something kind today. Not because you have to. But because you can.

And if you have a story about a moment like that, a time when kindness shifted something in you or someone else, I’d love to invite you to share it.

We’re gathering stories from around the world in a powerful book series called The Kindness Effect, and your story might be the one that inspires someone else to stop playing small and start showing up.

Visit www.thekindnesseffectbooks.com/home to learn more.
Your story matters. Let’s share it with the world.

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