“Instead of thinking only of yourself, become more
aware of other people and their needs.”
- Bill Harris
Issue #528 – Monday, May 18, 2026
We talk a lot about what we can do to improve our mental health.
Meditate more. Sleep better. Eat well. Exercise.
All of it matters.
But here's something most of us overlook completely.
What if the single most powerful thing you could do for your own wellbeing... was to do something for someone else?
That's exactly what today's essay from Mind Power Managing Editor Ryan Standifird explores.
Ryan shares a moving personal story about a stranger's small act of kindness that changed the entire trajectory of his life. Then he breaks down the fascinating neuroscience behind why that moment hit him so hard.
He also walks you through three simple, practical ways to make kindness a daily habit, including one ancient meditation practice that is literally reshaping brains.
I know you are going to love this one.
Cheers,
MaryEllen Tribby
Centerpointe CEO
P.S.
Can tapping into the power of gamma brainwaves change your life?
Scroll down the Check it Out section below to learn about how you can harness the potential of this powerful brainwave state.
The Kindness Advantage: Why Being Kind to Others Is the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Brain
By Ryan Standifird
I was having a rough week.
This was almost 10 years ago, back when I was single and was just laid off from a company I truly enjoyed working for.
I was scrambling to figure out what I was going to do. I sent my resume out to a dozen positions and hadn’t heard anything back. I could no longer afford rent and I didn’t want to leave my roommate high and dry.
I was constantly anxious. I was grieving the loss of the “secure” life I’d been building. I was struggling to sleep and was running on fumes.
I remember sitting in a coffee shop one afternoon, staring at my laptop screen of job listings without really seeing anything on it. Just... stuck.
The barista - a young guy I'd never spoken to before - set a fresh cup of coffee on my table.
"On the house," he said. "You looked like you could use it."
That was it. No big speech or dramatic moment. Just a stranger offering a small act of kindness.
I can't fully explain what that did to me. But I sat up a little straighter. I took a breath. And somehow, the afternoon felt manageable again. I began to write another cover letter with some renewed hope as I sipped on that coffee.
I've thought about that moment a lot since then.
Had that stranger left me alone… would I have applied to the job that led me to stay in that city and meet my future wife?
Maybe not.
So here's what I've come to believe:
Kindness is one of the most underrated forces in the world.
And now, science is starting to back that up in some pretty striking ways.
Kindness Isn't Just Good for Others - It's Good for Your Brain
Researchers at UCLA are now finding that the benefits of kindness run much deeper than previously thought.
In a recent study, performing acts of kindness were found to activate the brain's reward system - the same regions that light up when you win money or eat your favorite food.
The brain, it turns out, is wired to feel good when you help someone else.
But here's where it gets really interesting...
They also found that engaging in acts of kindness actually do more to reduce depression, anxiety, and loneliness than acts of self-care.
That’s news to me!
According to the research, helping someone else can do more for your own mental wellbeing than a bubble bath or a hot stone massage.
Now, before I go any further, I want to be clear about something:
Self-care is not the enemy here. Taking care of yourself - getting enough sleep, eating well, making time for the things that restore you - is essential.
You cannot pour from an empty cup.
But what the research suggests is that kindness can be the spark that lights the fire. It's the thing that gets you out of your own head, reconnects you with your sense of purpose, and activates the very brain chemistry that makes everything else feel more manageable.
In other words, the two work together.
Self-care fills you up. Kindness puts that fuel to use.
What's Actually Happening in Your Brain When You're Kind
So why does kindness produce such a powerful neurological response?
It comes down to a few key mechanisms.
First, when you do something kind, your brain releases a cocktail of feel-good neurochemicals - dopamine, oxytocin (the "love" hormone), and serotonin. This is sometimes called the "helper's high," and it's very real. You're not just imagining that warm glow after doing something nice for someone.
Second, acts of kindness shift your focus outward. When we're depressed, anxious, or burnt out, our brains tend to fold inward. We ruminate. We replay our worries. We get stuck in loops.
Kindness is one of the most effective ways to interrupt that cycle because it requires you to see, think about, and connect with someone else.
Third (this one surprised me) kindness actually helps regulate the stress response.
Researchers believe that the act of helping someone else signals to your nervous system: "You are safe. You are connected. You are needed."
That's a powerful message for a brain that's been running on anxiety and exhaustion.
3 Ways to Make Kindness a Daily Habit
Here's the thing about kindness: it doesn't have to be a grand gesture.
The research suggests that small, consistent acts are what move the needle. Here are three ways you can build your own kindness habit, whether you're just getting started or looking to go a little deeper.
#1: Start with micro-kindness
You don't need to volunteer at a shelter to feel the brain benefits of kindness. A sincere compliment, holding a door, sending a short text to check in on someone you've been thinking about - these small moments add up.
The key word here is "sincere." Your brain knows the difference between a genuine gesture and just going through the motions.
#2: Make kindness a two-way street
Did you know that one of the most overlooked acts of kindness is letting other people be kind to you?
I learned this the hard way. For a long time, I was much better at giving than receiving. Someone would offer to help and I'd wave them off.
"No, no, I'm fine," I would say (even if I wasn’t fine). I didn’t want to be a burden.
But blocking kindness is its own kind of disconnection. So the next time someone offers you a compliment, a favor, or a word of encouragement, try something radical:
Just say thank you. Let it in. That exchange is good for both brains involved.
#3: Practice "loving-kindness" meditation (like the Metta Bhavana)
This ancient meditation technique involves mentally extending warmth and goodwill to yourself, to people you love, to acquaintances, and even to people you find difficult.
Research from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found that loving-kindness meditation produces measurable changes in deep brain regions associated with emotional regulation and memory. It's not just feel-good philosophy - it literally reshapes your brain over time.
The Kindness-Meditation Connection
Here's something I find genuinely fascinating about all of this:
The research keeps pointing back to meditation - specifically loving-kindness meditation - as one of the most powerful tools for building the kind of emotional openness and outward focus that makes kindness feel natural rather than forced.
And it turns out, there's a whole Holosync suite designed around exactly that idea.
It's called the Gamma Life Expansion Deluxe Suite and it's one of the most unique experiences Centerpointe has ever created.
One of the four soundtracks in the suite is called Gamma Heart - a guided meditation built on the ancient practice of the original loving-kindness meditation, the Metta Bhavana.
Research shows that while practicing the Metta Bhavana, the brain generates powerful gamma brainwaves linked to empathy, emotional regulation, and connection. Gamma Heart is designed to take you there automatically, using Centerpointe's proprietary Holosync neuro-audio technology.
The whole suite is built around one idea: that the brain has an enormous untapped capacity for joy, connection, and emotional healing and gamma brainwaves help you unlock it.
Learn more about the Gamma Life Expansion Deluxe Suite right here.
The Ripple You Can't See
I still think about that barista sometimes.
He had no idea what that cup of coffee meant to me. He couldn't have known that the job I applied for that day led to me staying in that city, where I would eventually meet my future wife and start the family I have today.
He just noticed someone who looked like they needed a little help… and he acted on it.
That's the thing about kindness. The giver rarely knows how far the ripple travels.
But your brain knows. And now, you do too.
Check It Out!
Gamma Life Expansion Deluxe Suite
The Gamma Life Expansion Deluxe Suite features four powerful Holosync soundtracks that give you the full range of benefits of the gamma brainwave state, as well as a special Metta Bhavana Experience so you can learn and integrate this ancient practice into your life!
These potent tools give you on-demand access to the most beneficial gamma brainwaves, providing your life with an instant boost when it comes to clarity, emotional mastery, creativity, and gratitude.
Wise Words
“Kindness is one of the most underrated forces in the world.”
- Ryan Standifird
This Really Happened
"You were telling me how good the Gamma Life Expansion Deluxe Suite is - Well l purchased it today & I love it already. You have the Best of the best products.
Just thought I'd tell you that."
-David
Holosync User
Everything Is Better in the MyHolosync App!
Daily Holosync Meditation Sessions that Grow With You
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Video Replays of our live CoachingCasts
Listen to our Brains ‘R’ Us Podcast
Listen to Our Brains ‘R’ Us Podcast
The Imaginary Brain Museum:
What Mozart, da Vinci, and You Have in Common
By Marc Gilson
In this thought-provoking episode, Marc takes you on a journey through an imaginary collection of history's most brilliant brains. From Mozart's musical genius to Leonardo da Vinci's visionary inventions, from Shakespeare's literary mastery to Marie Curie's groundbreaking science
What do these legendary minds all have in common?
Listen to find out!
Listen now in the MyHolosync App, at brains-r-us.com or anywhere you get your podcasts.
We Want to Hear From You!
Do you have a memory of a time you gave or received some unexpected kindness?
Post your story on our Facebook Page.
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but who will be forever grateful.
