Covid has helped us to be kinder

By Geraldine Fitzgerald

Anxiety, depression, and a slide into unhealthy habits were reported by millions of us over the course of Covid-19 and its attendant uncertainty.

The silver lining is that we learned how important humanity is, and kindness became a buzzword. A crisis does wonders to unite people in the face of a common foe and kindness is a contagion that heals.

Recent research commissioned by Maxol showed widespread agreement that we feel better when we’re kind to one another and performing an act of kindness makes us feel terrific – in fact 80 per cent of people surveyed think kindness is so important that it should be taught in school.

The research findings were released to coincide with Maxol’s annual 12 Days of Kindness initiative. During November and December, 10c from every cup of Rosa coffee and hot beverage purchased in a Maxol service station is donated to mental health charity Aware, and until 12 December, you can spread some extra sweetness by buying two – one for yourself, and one to pass onto to a stranger.

Customers write a little card to hang on the service station’s Kindness Christmas Tree, which can be used to pay for somebody’s warm drink – a lovely way to spread joy and help raise much-needed funds for Aware.

Director of Services at Aware Stephen McBride explained the charity is hearing from many people feeling anxious or depressed due to the pandemic, trying to access information and support.

Trying to meet the needs of as many people as possible is a continuing financial challenge for charities like Aware. Kindness has a domino effect on everybody so the concrete act of buying a beverage for a stranger is beneficial for all involved.

Cultivating kindness to others starts with being good to ourselves – 85 per cent of those surveyed say we need to be kinder to ourselves, a sentiment echoed by Clinical Psychologist Dr Eddie Murphy.

“Our coping mechanisms are suffering from prolonged wear and tear. It’s only natural that the pandemic would take a physical and emotional toll and we can see this in people’s stress responses. If this is becoming problematic, people should not be afraid to reach out for support and organisations like Aware are always ready to help,” said Dr Murphy.

Almost 34,000 people were supported by Aware’s services last year via its free to access support line, support mail and support and self care groups. The charity also equipped over 5,000 teenagers with resilience building skills through its school-based education programmes.

Maxol has raised almost €600,000 for Aware since partnering with the charity in 2016.