As more people suffer, we’ve seen a surge in global kindness and people taking proactive steps to generate solutions for all

“The streets are quiet and the shelves are empty. But we’re all supporting one another,” was the reply I got back from my friend in Wales when checking in on my WhatsApp group. “We’re in family lockdown. Arghhh. Thank god for the tips the other moms are sending me”: my friend in the United States.

“No one really knows what’s going on here, we’re staying close and helping those in need”: my friend in Chile. “You know, it’s really shown me how interconnected we all are,” my friend in New Zealand mused. “Coronavirus has made the world seem smaller. We’re all going through the same thing and I feel somehow closer to everyone.”

The psychological impact of the coronavirus has spread like an emotional Mexican wave from country to country and with it we are seeing an ocean of support and kindness rising up. Take for example:

The Kindness Pandemic facebook group which started on 14 March and already has more than 80,000 followers across the globe who are lifting each other’s spirits by sharing small actions of kindness they have done or seen.

Its founder, Dr Catherine Barrett, says: “Kindness won’t make Covid-19 go away, but it will make our lives easier and more rewarding.”

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She’s right. The psychology science shows that acts of kindness provide an emotional win-win where both parties are left with a warm glow.

Win 1: the person on the receiving end gets instrumental help and feels seen and cared for, thus boosting their positive emotions. Win 2: your acts of kindness come back to reward you in myriad ways, and studies show that being kind to others can increase your life satisfaction. Donating money to others increases one’s happiness , volunteering increases life expectancy for older people and boosts the immunity of teenagers, adults and senior citizens.

Beyond the benefits of kindness between two people, what has motivated this global outpouring of kindness during the coronavirus crisis? Psychology research shows that shared adversity often brings out the best in us, motivating us to be adaptable and creative.

On top of that, when we suffer we are motivated to help others who also suffer. Sure there are the some who are opportunistic or self-interested and, yes, we saw some of this in the early waves of coronavirus when it came to consumer actions (the empty shelf syndrome) but as the implications of the virus settles in, and as more people are suffering, we have seen a surge in global kindness and people taking proactive steps to generate solutions that will work for everyone.

A psychology professor, Dacher Keltner of UCLA Berkeley, suggests that kindness has always been a central aspect of human nature going right back to our ancestors because it helped us survive. Out on the harsh savannah it was kindness that prompted close bonds and cooperation among our early descendants, allowing them to band together to share food, defend themselves against predators, solve problems and raise children.

This is equally true today and has becomes strikingly evident in this time of crisis. Shelly Taylor, another psychology professor at UCLA, suggests that “we are fundamentally a nurturant species” and that times of threat trigger an instinctive response that she calls “tending and befriending” where we step in protect others (tend) and band together against the threat (befriend).

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Our brains are hard-wired for compassion, and survival of the kindest must outweigh survival of the fittest now.

Now is a time where we all must “tend and befriend”. Here are some simple things you can do to the global wave of kindness.

. Drop a note in your neighbours’ letter boxes inviting them to be part of a Street WhatsApp group so you can check in on each other and let people know if you’re doing a supermarket run or see if someone needs a friend to talk to. . Support local and online business: the coronavirus is having huge economic fallouts. Support your local restaurants through take-away orders, get fresh fruit from your grocer, have flowers delivered to a friend who is struggling, put your family holiday snaps into an album with an online store, spend money on books, kits, crafts or activities that you can read/do with your new spare time during social distancing. . Share positive stories on social media: research shows that when you share a story that makes someone happy this positive emotion spreads on to others in the social network. . Give blood. Right now the Red Cross has a severe blood shortage and donors are needed urgently. The Red Cross assures us that giving blood is safe and does not put you at risk of contracting the coronavirus. . Sit down and write a thank you letter to someone who has made a positive difference in your life. Send them the letter or better yet call them and read the letter to them. . Wash your hands and practise social distancing. This is still the most effective thing you can do and is a way of showing kindness by not risking the spread of infection to others.

Kindness can come in the intentional actions above and it can come through your small daily gestures. When getting pulled into several battles with my two teenage kids today over e-learning and the fact that school closure does not mean brain closure, I had to remind myself “sometimes it’s better to be kind than to be right”, take a deep breath, disengage and find a more constructive way of talking to them. It took effort, but then all the good things do.

The pace, intensity and magnitude of the coronavirus has the whole world reeling. By committing yourself to be kinder during the crisis you are helping others, helping yourself and helping the world. Now more than ever, we must pause, be patient and choose kindness.