A Volunteer's Paycheck

A Volunteer's Paycheck

Or

How does being kind affect us?

1. Physiologically
  A. Those who volunteer report fewer aches and pains.
  B. People 55 and older who volunteer live longer.
  C. Volunteering and being kind can lower your blood pressure via the release of the hormone oxytocin.
  D. Performing acts of kindness releases endorphins.

2. Psychologically
  A. Kindness is like strength training - it can be improved with practice.
  B. Kindness is "contagious." Even witnessing kindness in others can impact your mood.
  C. People who donate to charity self-report higher levels of happiness.
  D. Kindness lowers the anxiety levels of people who report they have anxiousness.
  E. There is a strong correlation between the health, happiness and longevity of people who are emotionally and behaviorally compassionate towards others.

3. Bunnifically
  A. Rabbits are likely to report lower levels of "disapproval" to kind volunteers vs. the uneducated silly humans.
  B. Humans who volunteer with and rescue rabbits show:
    (1) Decreased sensitivity to stray hay in odd places (like your bed or underwear.)
    (2) A higher tolerance for rabbit fur on all articles of clothing and household objects.
    (3) Multilingual language abilities, with the ability to interpret "fluent rabbit" (and heightened sensitivity to protect fingers when interpreting the ears-back/tail-up pose.)
    (4) An improved ability to distinguish between a "real crisis" and a trivial event. (Receiving a deep puncture wound from said unprotected fingers is a trivial event. The car not starting when out of your rabbit's favorite greens is a "real crisis".)
    (5) Unequivocally and indisputably exceedingly high levels of "bunny supreme meditative bliss" (especially when petting said rabbits - an even higher state of consciousness plane when followed by a bunny flop.)

by Marlene Larkin, Georgia House Rabbit Society Educator