Human warmth

What does it mean when we say that someone is ‘warm’? To me, a warm person is someone who is friendly and kind. When you are around them, you feel safe and comfortable, like being curled up in a warm blanket. Warm people are open to connection rather than being ‘cold’ or unfriendly.

A few days ago, I was walking along a quiet street, and a solo construction worker was operating some machinery on the footpath. The worker went out of their way to stop what they were doing and pull down their face mask just to say ‘good morning’ before resuming the job. This simple friendly gesture took me by surprise. It left me smiling for the rest of the day.

I often forget to make an effort to smile at people, to be friendly, to show people that I care about them. It’s easy to forget how big of a difference it makes. This can apply to all our interactions, big or small. Some days, I don’t have the energy to be extra friendly to every person I meet. I’m not one of those effortlessly warm humans who seem to exhibit grace and kindness to everyone around them. That’s okay, but when I can manage it, I want to try to be a little bit warmer.

Studies actually show that being kind to others gives you a ‘warm glow‘, or a rush of endorphins. When you look at it that way, being warmer to others helps you to keep yourself warm.