Small gestures of kindness can ripple out in ways that connect us, improve our well-being, and bring profound meaning to our lives. In this episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian dives into the power of everyday kindness—greetings, smiles, and thoughtful acts that brighten someone’s day while strengthening our collective bonds.

You’ll hear heartwarming stories, scientific insights, and practical tips to weave more kindness into your daily life. From a cheerful school custodian to profound research on the physiological and psychological benefits of kindness, this episode will leave you inspired to spend some of your 1,000 waking minutes making a difference.

Tune in to discover how small gestures can change the course of a day—for you and someone else.

FROM THE EPISODE:

"Isn’t it amazing how something as simple as sharing a smile or saying ‘Good morning’ can change the entire course of a day—for someone else and for you?"

WE DISCUSS:

(1:10) Small gestures that have a big impact on connection

(5:32) Personal stories: A school custodian, a childhood teacher, and simple greetings

(14:22) The science behind kindness: How it enhances happiness, health, and even attractiveness

(22:56) A Mindful Minute: Using breath to set an intention for kindness

(28:24) Practical ways to bring more kindness into your 1,000 waking minutes

(35:45) A question to ponder and reflect on 

(36:04) Closing remarks and gratitude to my team and you for joining me on this journey

CONNECT WITH WENDY

Follow me on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes

Visit my website: wendybazilian.com

Email me at: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com

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Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey–together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

Health Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

REFERENCES

Curry, O. S., Rowland, L., Van Lissa, C. J., Zlotowitz, S., McAlaney, J., PhD, & Whitehouse, H. (2016, September 21). Happy to Help? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of performing acts of kindness on the well-being of the actor. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/ytj5s

Kononov, N., & Ein-Gar, D. (2024). Prosocial behaviour enhances evaluation of physical beauty. British Journal of Social Psychology, 00, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12800

Kumar, A., & Epley, N. (2018). Undervaluing gratitude: Expressers misunderstand the consequences of showing appreciation. Psychological Science, 29(9), 1423–1435. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797618772506

Nelson-Coffey, S. K., Fritz, M. M., Lyubomirsky, S., & Cole, S. W. (2017). Kindness in the blood: A randomized controlled trial of the gene regulatory impact of prosocial behavior. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 81, 8–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.03.025

Rossi, G., Dingemanse, M., Floyd, S. et al. Shared cross-cultural principles underlie human prosocial behavior at the smallest scale. Sci Rep 13, 6057 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30580-5

Whillans, A. V., Dunn, E. W., Sandstrom, G. M., Dickerson, S. S., & Madden, K. M. (2016). Is spending money on others good for your heart? Health Psychology, 35(6), 574–583. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000332

Isn't it amazing how something

as simple as sharing a

smile or a "good morning"

with someone can change the

entire course of a day,

theirs and yours?

These are the moments that

remind us we're all connected.

We experience 1,000 waking minutes

on average every day.

How are you spending yours?

I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and

you're listening to 1,000 Waking

Minutes.

I can't wait to connect

with you here with practical

ways to eat well, move

daily and be healthy, to

optimize every waking minute you

live for a happier, healthier

life.

Thank you for sharing some

of your waking minutes with

me today.

Let's get started.

I'm saying yes to better

days.

Yes.

I'm on my way.

Yes.

It's gonna be okay.

Yeah.

Hello and welcome to 1,000

Waking Minutes.

I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and

I'm so glad you're here.

Today we're exploring something so

simple yet so impactful: the

power of greetings, of small

gestures and everyday kindness.

These are the little things

like saying "good morning" or

holding the door open for

a colleague or a stranger

or even a quick "happy

holidays,"

as I say to you

today, they may seem small,

but they can ripple out

and create big connections in

our lives.

Over the years, I've really

come to appreciate the beauty

in the small moments that

bring us together like everyday

gestures that build this connection,

even without realizing it at

times.

I've always been someone who

loves to say "hello," walking

down the street.

I find myself in cities

sometimes getting a joyous hello

or someone lifting their head

to smile and return to

look at me curiously. Whatever

the case, it makes me

feel good and it's just

my nature.

I've also been sort of

trained into it over the

years and just like all

habits, often there are practices

that you might engage in

and if you do them

on a repeated basis, you

get better at them and

they just happen -

they become part of your

you.

And because I was a

general manager of operations for

a time in my early

profession at a busy European

style cafe in the area,

this was a cafe and

coffee house.

It was bustling all the

time.

I was charged with getting

the live music on the

weekends.

We had very long hours

and that was hospitality to

make and delight the customers

and hopefully leave them wanting

to come back having had

a good time.

Also spending over a decade

at a destination spa with

a very high return rate...

you got to know people

and it was expected of

us, but it was also

something that was inherent in

the culture and the spirit

of the place to be

kind, to look up, to

say, "how may I help

you" to say "good day."

And so the practices sort

of make it habitual.

But I admit, like all

of us at times, when

your nose is down and

you're bustling and busy trying

to get from point A

to point B, sometimes we

forget or we don't really

recognize the real impact that

those small gestures can have

on others, but also ourselves.

So when the holidays roll

around, and there are a

lot of holidays throughout the

year, so I like to

celebrate them all, but I'm

always reminded how powerful it

is to pause and greet

the world around me.

I love that we have

sayings that we can deploy,

that we can use to

complete strangers.

So I try to be

the first to say happy

holidays, not as a competition,

but just there for it,

no matter what the holiday

is.

I love the way holidays

sort of give us permission

to greet each other warmly,

as if we could do

it every day and we

should do it every day.

Even if we don't know

the person, we can exchange

smiles, greetings, and we can

engage small acts of kindness,

and it tends to bubble

up around holidays.

We can greet those people

we don't even know with

heartfelt like happy holidays or

happy new year, or even

a more hearty good morning.

And even day to day,

if you think about you

hear someone sneeze and you

say, what do you say?

You say, bless you when

someone sneezes or another version.

These moments are more just,

more than just, I should

say, surface level interactions.

They remind us that we're

part of something bigger.

We are part of a

community.

We are aware of others

around us.

And as humans, we're better

together as a collective.

So I want to share

a couple of stories that have

stayed with me.

And I bet a story

of a person will come

to your mind that will

give you a smile as

well in your life as

we embark on today's episode

about the small gestures and

the acts of kindness and

what they can do for

our lives.

First, there's Mr. Russell.

He's the custodian at my

daughter's school who just actually

last week retired after a

wonderful career.

Every single school day, he's

the guy that would greet

everyone.

It wasn't his role.

It wasn't his responsibility.

It wasn't, I'm sure, in

his job description.

But he was a guy

who would be there walking

around the PE field, landing

himself at the top of

the staircase as all the

kids and parents and teachers

file in for school.

Every single school day, he

would greet everyone.

The kids, parents, teachers, anyone

who walked in his path.

And he would greet them

with such cheer and happiness.

He has this booming voice.

He's a big personality and

an energy that makes you

feel welcomed and seen.

Every day, no matter how

busy or chaotic a school

drop off can be, and

if you're a parent, you

know what that's like.

His greeting would cut through

the noise and lift everyone's

spirit.

And since I met him

and was sort of reintroduced

to 'that person' [who greets you with openness] at a

school, he brought back to

my mind someone from my

own childhood and even at

my own elementary school growing

up in Avon, Connecticut.

There was this teacher.

His name was Mr. Simms.

And I actually forget what

he taught.

He wasn't a direct teacher

of mine.

He may have been a

speech counselor, if I recall.

And he made it his

mission to greet every student

with warmth, similar to Mr.

Russell.

In particular, on Friday afternoons,

I just remember him always

standing outside where the buses

would roll up and we'd

be leaving to get on

the buses.

And he cheerfully announced, "Monday

is fun day.

Monday is fun day.

Don't forget.

Monday is fun day" as

a way to sort of

usher us into the weekend

and remind us that the

school week was exciting to

come back to.

Decades later, that memory makes

me smile deeply in my

body, on my face as

well.

And it wasn't just words.

It was a feeling of

being cared for, of being

valued and noticed.

I didn't know it at

the time.

You know, it was sort

of one of those silly

things that you just live

through.

But it has impact.

And I feel like we

all have stories, if you

tap them, of those instances

where there's impact in the

small gestures.

And by the way, if

there are any childhood friends

listening, feel free to correct

me or corroborate my story

on this memory.

So these moments, these small

gestures are the heart of

today's episode.

They remind us that we're

all part of something bigger.

We're all connected.

And like I said, we're

better together.

So let's explore by way

of some stories.

And the holiday time is

the perfect time to do

this.

We'll look at the science

and also ways, practical ways

that we can bring more

kindness to the lives of

others and also ourself within

our 1,000 waking minutes

each day.

The holiday season feels like

the perfect time to talk

about kindness, really.

Anytime's a good time.

But the holiday time, because

it naturally invites more opportunities

for connection.

If you think about it,

this is a time of

year that sort of opens

the door to say things

like, "happy holidays", "happy new

year."

"Are you traveling over the

holidays?"

"Have you gotten your Christmas

tree?"

Even with people that we

may not usually speak to

on a frequent basis or

regularly at all.

This is a time when

many people send cards.

We tip our baristas at

the coffee shops.

We even give gifts to

our mail carriers.

I've noticed some neighbors in

my area, they put out

baskets with snacks and water

for the UPS and the

FedEx and the Amazon drivers.

There's something so thoughtful about

this.

It's the small connections to

reach out.

Even if you don't physically

engage with that human being,

we tend to say thank

you or look up and

engage, it seems to me,

a little bit more during

this season.

And there's magic in these

moments.

Wouldn't you agree?

So one of my favorite

things is sending holiday cards.

So in our house, we

often send New Year's cards.

And in fact, we have

a long tradition of sending

Lunar New Year's cards, which

comes a little bit later,

usually late January or sometime

in February.

That's another story for another

time.

But I also love receiving

them just as much as

I like sending them.

Although I know that many

people have sort of reduced

this tradition for environmental reasons

or to recapture some personal

time.

It is time intensive to

do this, which I completely

respect.

What really matters is the

reach out, you know, the

greeting of the season.

It could be paper, electronic,

even a phone call.

But there's something so heartfelt

about taking the time to

say hello.

And it seems like holiday

times sort of re-ups

that invitation to do so.

Writing a note to someone,

a family member, a friend

you haven't seen in a

little while or even in

years, or someone who's had

impact on your life, like

a teacher or mentor, reminds

us that the connections that

matter most are in these

small acts at times.

And it holds a lot

of meaning.

If you've ever received a

letter from someone like that

or an out of the

blue reconnection, you can know

what it feels like already.

You can probably tap that

memory and it'll probably actually

bring back a very real

physical feeling inside.

It's one of the things

that makes both sender and

receiver feel seen and valued

and remembered.

And that's the beauty of

the season.

It gives us moments to

pause and to reach out.

There's a poem I came

across recently that deeply resonated

with me related to this

very topic because it captured

the idea and the observation

that I've sort of held

inside, or maybe not been

able to articulate well, about

gestures to others.

It's called Small Kindnesses by

Danusha Lameris.

It captures these moments so

beautifully.

So I'd like to read

just a few lines to

you.

She writes, "I've been thinking

about the way when you

walk down a crowded aisle,

people pull in their legs

to let you by.

Or how strangers still say

bless you when someone sneezes.

A leftover from the bubonic

plague.

Don't die, we are saying."

Isn't that incredible?

The idea that simple bless

you carries so much history

and connection.

So she continues with saying,

"And sometimes when you spill

lemons from your grocery bag,

someone else will help you

pick them up."

And then this part really

struck me.

"Mostly, we don't want to

harm each other.

We want to be handed

our cup of coffee hot

and to say thank you

to the person handing it.

To smile at them and

for them to smile back."

So I think there's something

really profound here in these

small exchanges.

These gestures, again, may seem

tiny in the moment, but

they're profound in how they

stitch us together as a

community and as human beings.

Holding the door open, offering

the kind word, or lending

a helping hand.

These may seem rather insignificant

in isolation, but they do

create a ripple effect that

can transform a day, transform

a team, and hold us

together as a community.

And that's the heart of

today's message.

Now, let's dig into the

science, because you know I

love bringing research into our

conversations.

Here's what we know about

kindness and why it matters.

Research has shown that simple

acts of kindness and everyday

greetings, generosity, can significantly enhance

social connections and individual well

-being.

So here are some key

findings, the returns on investment,

or ROIs, the benefits, in

other words, from the peer

-reviewed research.

kindness enhances happiness.

A comprehensive review by the

University of Oxford concluded that

engaging in kind acts leads

to a modest yet significant

increase in subjective well-being.

This study suggests that even

small gestures can boost happiness

for both the giver, in

particular, the person performing the

act of kindness, and although

not specifically evaluated in this

study, but in others, you

can imagine the effect is

also positive for the receiver.

And though you can't predict

when you will be on

the receiving end, we can

choose to be on the

kindness-spreading side to bring

that personal gift back to

us and bring the joy

and value and the 'being

seen' moment to the person

receiving.

So kindness brings happiness.

this is good

news because other research has

looked at the impact on

others, and I want to

report and also reinforce that

the impact of kindness on

others is high.

It makes a difference, and

studies have shown that boosting

mood is just one of

the many benefits that the

receiver gets when you choose

to gesture and give a

small act of kindness to

another.

This may seem obvious, of

course, but researchers report that

we actually tend to underestimate

its magnitude or how much

we think it's valued by

others.

Research published in the Journal

of Experimental Psychology from the

University of Chicago Booth School

of Business found that individuals -

evaluating nearly 1,000 of

them across multiple experiments of

performing random acts of kindness,

so think doing something for

others kindly, nicely, with generosity,

and not expecting anything in

return - that the people doing

the acts of kindness often

underestimate the positive impact that

their kind actions actually have.

And amazingly, sort of sadly,

really, this miscalculation of predicting

the level of the recipient's

joy and value received can

deter people from engaging in

acts of kindness.

These pro-social behaviors are

called in the literature, or

that kindness extended 'just because',

despite the substantial benefits to

both.

So I want you to

think about this and help

me spread the word.

Don't underestimate its effects.

In other words, spread the

word as you spread the

kindness, and we'll all benefit.

The third piece of reinforcement

I want to share is

that the net effect, these

acts of kindness, is something

we all do.

This is a human thing,

and it's universal.

People around the globe in

fact, engage and help each

other out, on average, about

every two minutes, according to

some research that I read.

In a multi-country study

published in Scientific Reports just

last year by Giovanni Rossi

and colleagues, they observed that

people agreed to helping out,

- saying "yes" when asked - with

small requests nearly 80%

of the time versus declining.

So they say "yes."

These are the small gestures

or requests like, "could you

hold the door?"

Or "could you help for

a moment?"

Far more did they say

yes than saying no.

We are a species, our

human being species, that we're

largely built on cooperation.

And I'm so relieved to

report this, and it's so

cool that science shows this.

And from this high rate

of compliance, let me put

it that way, saying "yes"

when asked, it does appear

that kindness really is universal.

It makes me think of

my theme song to the

podcast.

"I'm saying yes for better

days.

Yes, I'm on my way.

Yes, it's gonna be okay.

Yeah."

So we say "yes" when

asked, and I think that

that's really cool.

And kindness is universal.

can engaging in

acts of kindness make you

more attractive?

I ask you this.

Well, it appears so.

And sort of, can you

believe we've studied that?

Research from Tel Aviv University

published just this year in

the British Journal of Social

Psychology indicates that prosocial traits,

so things like kindness and

altruism, can enhance perceived physical

attractiveness.

In other words, kind people

are seen as more physically

attractive by others.

And what's more, and I

think this is interesting, this

effect is comparable to, or

even surpasses, the impact of

traits like humor or intelligence

on perceived attractiveness.

So 'wow' to that one.

But being kind or being

generous and warm can increase

physical appeal to others, more

so than being smart or

being funny, though we know

that those have been linked

too.

Sort of cool.

And I'd be remiss with

this final benefit that I'd

like to share for today,

not to mention the physical

benefit as well.

Beyond the psychological perks of

being kind - the boost to

our mood, feeling connected and

warm - research has also linked

helping others and being generous

to better physical health.

In one study in Health

Psychology, older adults who spent

money on others versus themselves

had lower blood pressure, both

systolic and diastolic in this

particular study.

And other research has shown

that performing acts of kindness -

being sharing and caring and

generous - showed improvements in their

immune system profile too at

the genetic and blood level.

And that's a little bit

of 'wow' to add to

the mix.

Blood pressure, immune system, mood,

attractiveness..., there's nothing to lose.

So considering all these findings,

we can say that these

studies collectively demonstrate and support

the notion that simple everyday

gestures can foster social cohesion

and enhance individual well-being.

And they've shown to have

physical benefits too, like lowering

blood pressure.

That's a big one because

many of us are contending

with that and hopefully either

medically managed or medically and

managed with lifestyle.

All of these emphasize the

profound impact of small acts

of kindness.

And here's my favorite part:

acts of kindness can trigger

the release of oxytocin, which

is also known as the

bonding hormone.

So it makes us feel

connected to others as well.

These small moments of kindness

aren't just feel good, they're

biologically hardwired to bring us

closer together.

Now is the part of

this episode where we're going

to share a Mindful Minute

together.

If you've been here before,

you know how this works.

I'll guide you through a

little bit of setup, let

you know when we're starting,

and then begin the clock.

At the end, we'll take

a moment to reflect together.

Sometimes the idea of mindfulness

can feel a bit abstract

or even 'out there' for

some people.

But Thich Nhat Hanh, the

Buddhist monk and renowned teacher

of mindfulness, distills mindfulness into

its purest, simplest form.

He suggests that with each

breath, you are actually cultivating

mindfulness by the fact that

you are aware of the

present moment.

In other words, awareness of

breath is the essence of

mindfulness.

He is a man of

many profound quotes, but another

that is tied closely to

the theme of today is

the quote where he says,

"Breathing in, I am aware

of the interconnectedness of all

beings.

Breathing out, I send peace

to the world."

And that's what we'll do

today in our Mindful Minute.

And that's what we do

when we offer gestures of

kindness outward to others.

We are aware of the

interconnectedness and we send peace,

aka 'we offer kindness' to

the world.

And it's such a powerful

idea because it brings mindfulness

down to the most human

our breath.

So today we'll use that

awareness as a way to

pause, reflect, and connect with

ourselves.

So to start, I invite

you to find a comfortable

position, sit with your feet

flat on the ground, adjust

them if you need to,

or if your legs are

crossed.

If you're standing, that's okay

too, but make sure your

weight feels balanced.

Relax your shoulders, soften your

jaw.

And if you'd like, close

your eyes or just gaze

softly in front of you

a slight angle downward, maybe

45 degrees.

Take a deep breath in

and let's let it out

slowly just to get a

practice breath in and set

ourselves up.

Breathe in, breathe out.

As we begin, I'll invite

you to think the word

'GOOD' on your inhale and

'DAY' on your exhale today.

'GOOD DAY,'

in other words. This is

not just a greeting,

this is an intention.

So let's try that once.

Inhale, 'GOOD'.

Exhale, 'DAY'.

One more time.

Inhale, 'GOOD'.

Exhale, 'DAY'.

Now let's begin the clock.

GOOD DAY.

Stay with your breath.

Inhale, 'GOOD'.

Exhale, 'DAY'.

Just a few more moments

here.

And that's our Mindful Minute.

Take one last deep breath

in and let it out

slowly.

Open your eyes if you

haven't already.

And let's reflect.

When we say 'Good day',

it's one of those small

gestures of kindness.

A greeting we offer to

someone else.

But you know what I

like even more about it?

It's the intention for yourself.

When you say 'good day',

you're not just offering the

kindness to another person.

You're also setting the tone

for the day you're creating

around you.

You're stating with conviction - it's

GOOD DAY - the kind of

day you want to have.

The possibility, the intention, the

energy you're bringing into the

world.

So think about how that

may have felt to you.

What came to mind during

that Mindful Minute.

This simple practice reminds us

to pause, to notice, and

to carry kindness forward in

our day,

for others and doing some

self-care for ourselves.

Thank you for sharing that

Mindful Minute with me today.

So how can we bring

this to life in your

and my waking minutes today

and this week?

Here are some simple practical

ways to start adding a

little more kindness to your

life and others' lives too.

Remember the title of this

podcast, 1,000 Waking Minutes.

That's a reminder that time

is life's currency and how

we spend it matters.

The benefits of these small

gestures will have great payoff

for just seconds shared and

spent in your day.

greet with intention.

Just like we practice in

our mindful minute.

Say "good morning", "happy holidays",

or even just "thank you",

but don't rush it.

Say it like ya' mean

it, with intention.

A simple heartfelt greeting can

turn someone's day around, literally.

If you say bless you

or salud or gesundheit, the

latter two literally offering the

word 'health', like wishing someone

good health, to that person,

look at the person for

a moment.

Find a way when you

say it.

Even try to connect eyes.

hold the door

or offer the spot.

Look for opportunities to grab

the door for someone.

It can be almost like

a game.

It can be really fun,

even if they're a little

farther away than usual.

Or let someone go ahead

of you in line at

the coffee shop, the grocery

store, anywhere.

These tiny moments can create

ripples of connection.

reach out in writing.

Write a holiday card, write

a text, even an email

that you think about to

someone you care about.

It could be as simple

as "thinking of you and

wishing you a happy season!"

It's just a small act,

but it can be powerful,

especially when it's sort of

on the unexpected.

Both for you, because you

feel good for having done

it, and for them when

they see you pop up

in their inbox or literally

receive a stamped envelope in

the mail alongside all the

other flyers and political banners

and catalogs and whatnot.

make a call.

So this is another way

to connect and spread kindness.

Pick up the phone and

call someone you haven't spoken

to in a while, even

if you only have a

couple minutes.

It might feel old-fashioned,

but there's nothing like hearing

a familiar voice on the

other end.

Something I started doing recently

was when I'm crafting an

email sometimes, even to a

business colleague that I have

become friendly with over time,

sometimes I'm mid-sentence, and

I just pick up the

phone and see if they're

there.

It sort of gives me

an opportunity to think about

a new way to connect,

and once in a while,

I get them.

Once in a while, it's

sort of like a quick,

"oh, hi! So good to

hear your voice.

I'm sending you an email...",

and you can cover off

at that moment or say,

"hey, can't talk now, but

so good to hear your

voice."

That's something that I've done

recently.

Another practical way that you

can spread kindness and benefit

is to go the extra

mile if you can.

If you're in the position

to do so - don't stretch

yourself if you're not - but

you might buy a coffee

for the person behind you

in line, or go out

of your way to help

someone in need, whether it's

offering to carry their groceries,

paying for a meal, or

just listening - taking some extra

minutes, even if you were

in a hurry - but taking

extra minutes if someone needs

to talk.

These are the gestures that

people remember - you too! - and

why the 'pay it forward'

stories seem to capture and

attract our interests and resonate

with so many of us.

Next one's really simple:

Share a smile.

Smile at a stranger.

Yes, smiling is contagious.

Even if they don't smile

back, you can smile inside

having tried.

You're planting a little seed

of kindness into the world,

and it will grow.

So the idea of all

of these - I kept it

really simple because it is

simple...

try not to overthink it -

just find one small way

each day to spread a

little kindness.

It might feel small in

the moment.

You might feel funny if

you're doing something new that

you haven't done before and

trying it, but believe me,

and you probably already know,

it makes a difference.

It can transform someone's day,

and it might just transform

you too.

So how will you spend

a few of your 1,000

waking minutes this week?

Maybe in ways that build

kindness, connection, and a little

bit of joy for the

people around you.

So what's it going to

be?

My little challenge to you

to consider this week is

how you're going to put

this practice into your life

or amplify it.

And as you start thinking

about that, let me share

a quick story that's been

on my mind as I

was planning this episode.

Earlier this week, I was

driving my daughter to school,

and we were chatting, and

I shared - we were just

chit-chatting, getting ready for

the day, and I shared -

that I was planning this

episode about small gestures of

kindness, and she's in kindergarten.

And as kids often do,

she has this beautifully simple

and yet also poetic way

of looking at the world.

So I asked her, I

said, "what kind of gestures

or greetings you like to

say to others?"

And without skipping a beat

to pause, she said, "I

say hello, and then I

smile at people."

I followed up curious, "...and

how does that make you

feel when they respond?

What do they say back?"

She thought for a second

and then told me, "it

makes me feel warm inside."

But what struck me was

what happened next.

She looked up to me

and asked, "Mom, how do

you feel when someone says

a gesture or a hello

to you?"

Now, I wasn't surprised she

turned the question back to

me, but I hadn't really

thought about it in that

moment.

And I paused and I

said something like, "I guess

it makes me feel warm,

too.

And I think what it

makes me feel is like

I'm being seen and that

I matter."

And you know what?

It really struck me deeply.

It's striking me now.

I'm welling up in tears.

It's true.

A small gesture like a

smile or hello or a

thank you can create a

profound feeling in the middle

of a big, busy world,

- in a moment - that you've

been seen and you've been

acknowledged.

And maybe you don't even

know how to articulate it

at the moment.

But where you matter, wow,

that's not small at all.

That's extraordinary.

So what's your gesture of

kindness going to be this

week?

Your small gesture of kindness

could be a greeting or

a smile, a simple thank

you.

And know that it's creating

a ripple effect and letting

others - and you - know they

matter.

So before we wrap up,

I'd like to just take

a moment to recap on

today's episode.

We explored the power of

small gestures, the kind that

brightens someone's day and reminds

them that they're seen.

From simple greetings like 'good

morning' to intentional acts of

kindness about how these moments

can connect us and bring

meaning to our lives.

And we looked at how

spending just a few of

our 1,000 waking minutes a

day on kindness can make

a big difference to our

psychological and physical health personally,

not just for others, which

is usually why we're initiating

in the first place.

But it brings it back

to us, too.

Thank you for sharing a

few of your waking minutes

with me today.

I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and

I look forward to continuing

to building these connections together,

one kindness at a time.

Until next time, 'good day'

and be well.

Thank you for tuning in

to 1,000 Waking Minutes.

A huge thank you to

our amazing collaborators, including our

production and marketing teams and

Gabriela Escalante in particular, to

the ultra talented Beza for

my theme music, my lifelong

friend and artist, Pearl Preis

Photography and Design, to Daniel

Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell,

and of course, my family

and everyone working tirelessly behind

the scenes and to you,

our valued listeners,

I so appreciate your support.

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Until next time, find some

simple opportunities to optimize those

1,000 Waking Minutes each day.