8 Instagram Accounts to Follow
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Yes, being kind to others and surrounding yourself with people who practice kindness can actually boost your mental and emotional health.
And while social media can lead to some pretty toxic interactions, there are also corners of the internet that are filled with positive messages.
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“Kindness is a quality that means warmth in spirit and/or being generous,” explains Shagoon Maurya, a psychologist based in South Australia who runs a teletherapy company.
“To be kind to others requires being kind to yourself. If you treat yourself with kindness, it sets the tone for other people to treat you with the same energy,” Maurya adds. And that’s good for your mental and physical health, she says.
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Practicing kindness has been linked to numerous health benefits, including fewer symptoms of depression and reduced pain from migraine, according to the Mayo Clinic. Other research finds that practicing a mindset of loving kindness may even slow down the body’s natural aging process, according to a study that measured the length of telomeres (part of DNA structure that indicates the age of our body’s cells).
Kindness lowers stress levels and increases the production of dopamine, one of the feel-good hormones in the body, Maurya explains. It also boosts levels of serotonin (a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood) and oxytocin (another feel-good hormone that helps us form social bonds and build connectedness), according to Cedars-Sinai.
“Practicing kindness can improve your mood. It promotes self-love and boosts confidence and self esteem,” Maurya says. All of that can help get you through tough times — or life’s day-to-day trials.
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Need some regular reminders to show kindness and compassion to yourself and others? Here are eight Instagram accounts to follow:
1. @channelkindness
This account comes from the digital platform Channel Kindness, a project of the Born This Way Foundation, the organization founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, to support adolescent mental health. Channel Kindness was created as a safe space for young people to tell their stories of kindness, resilience, and community, according to the project’s website. The Instagram feed is full of inspirational words, graphics, and art.
Follow @channelkindness
2. @thekindnessrocksproject
Launched in 2015 by writer Meghan Murphy, the Kindness Rocks Project is a grassroots initiative that aims to foster connections within communities and lift others up through simple acts of kindness, according to the project’s website. How? By having people across the globe paint messages of love and positivity on rocks, then leave them for others to find.
Follow @thekindnessrocksproject
3. @rakfoundation
With the motto “Make kindness the norm,” the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation shares resources for cultivating kindness at home, in the classroom, and in the workplace, such as lesson plans and group activity ideas. The foundation’s Instagram feed features inspirational quotes and ideas for showing and spreading kindness.
Follow @rakfoundation
4. @humansofny
Born from the mind of Brandon Stanton, Humans of New York began as a photography project. Stanton wanted to capture 10,000 New Yorkers “on the street” to create a catalog of the city’s inhabitants. Today, however, HoNY has taken on a life of its own. Its Instagram account has some 13 million followers. Each post features a photograph of a New Yorker with a caption telling their unique story of experiencing life, including love, loss, kindness, and mental health challenges.
Follow @humansofny
5. @tanksgoodnews
This account describes itself in its bio as “positivity with a hint of humor” — and that’s what you can expect to find. The feed features touching photos, headlines, and stories of things going right in this world, reported by journalists from all over the world.
Follow @tanksgoodnews
6. @positivelypresent
Founded in 2009 by Washington, DC–based author and illustrator Dani DiPirro, Positively Present is a website and blog chronicling DiPirro’s decision to start living more positively. The Positively Present Instagram account is full of colorful graphics and quotes created by DiPirro, and it includes inspiration, motivation, and gratitude challenges. DiPirro also shares wellness check-ins, which encourage users to share how they are feeling.
Follow @positivelypresent
7. @fiveminutejournal
Based on a journal created by UJ Ramdas and Alex Ikonn, the Five Minute Journal Instagram account contains prompts, gratitude exercises, inspiring quotes, and mindful reflections to encourage followers to become the best version of themselves.
Follow @fiveminutejournal
8. @allthingslillyann
Lilly Ann Cepull is an Austin, Texas–based illustrator who runs an online shop of items — including stationery, apparel, art, and more — promoting messages of happiness and positivity. Her official Instagram account features her colorful, glass-half-full art.
Follow @allthingslillyann
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