The Ugnayan ng Pahinunogd University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) hosted a webinar titled “Lusog Isip: Magpakabuti’t Magpakabait: Conversations on Showing Gratitude and Kindness” on 11 April 2022 at 6:00 pm. The event is the fourth in the series of webinars organized by The Ugnayan ng Pahinungod Committee on Psychosocial Emergency Services (CoPES) and streamed live via Facebook and YouTube.
Professor Evangeline Ram, a retired Psychology Professor of the University of the Philippines Baguio, a licensed psychologist, and a Raj Yoga meditation practitioner, was the resource speaker. Ms. Ides Josefina Macapangan, Instructor at the Department of Language, Literature, and the Arts of the University of the Philippines Baguio (UPB), and representative to the UPB Ugnayan ng Pahinungod CoPES, served as the host.
Photo shows retired Professor Evangeline Ram (left) and Ms. Ides Josefina Macapangan (right) during a discussion in the episode titled Lusog Isip: Magpakabuti’t Magpakabait: Conversations on Showing Gratitude and Kindness.
Ms. Macapangan recalled and gave insights on the previous episode of the series with Asst. Prof. Queenie Ridulme. She shared that the last episode discussed various practical methods in maintaining our mental health by having strong interactions. She also mentioned that the resource speaker gave tips on how to intensify our communication using love languages that are unique in every individual.
Prof. Ram began her discussion by giving an overview of the nature of well-being as function and experience optimized in various aspects of life — physical, mental, emotional, social, psychological, and spiritual. She stated that well-being can be viewed generally either as hedonic–engaging in pleasurable experiences–or as eudaimonic–engaging in meaningful experiences. She mentioned that well-being can also be viewed as self-acceptance: knowing your strengths and weaknesses and embracing your weaknesses.
Prof. Ram continued her talk by highlighting kindness as one of the most important virtues because it allows us to stay with our relationships. It also helps in building a trusting and cooperative society. She explained that kindness stems from the heart because we as human beings are generally good, and we find ways to bring out that goodness. She mentioned that many can benefit from acts of kindness–the person doing the act, the recipient, and the people witnessing the act. As a result, everyone benefits from kindness, giving us a “sense of high” through the activation of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin, which are useful for mental health, happiness, and well-being.
Prof. Ram described gratitude as a feeling and expression of a deep sense of thankfulness in life, and it usually happens when one receives a gift or a thoughtful act. She declared that gratitude can be developed just by looking at simple things and by being thankful for them, such as waking up in the morning, looking at the sunrise, being alive, having opportunities, and having consciousness that anything in this world is not ours and that we are just stewards.
Prof. Ram ended her talk by encouraging everyone to always look for opportunities to show kindness by simply smiling, acknowledging the presence of another person, and saying “thank you.” She said that when you are grateful, you act more virtuously and become more humble, more persistent, and kinder, so the cycle is not vicious but rather a positive and growing cycle.
The presentation was followed by a short Q&A session, where concerns on how to be kind to those who are angry and aggressive and how to show kindness despite the negative things happening in one’s life, among others, were tackled.
Twenty-five participants joined the online event. The entire episode of Lusog Isip: Magpakabuti’t Magpakabait: Conversations on Showing Gratitude and Kindness can be viewed via the UPOU Networks – Multimedia Center Facebook page and the UPOU Networks website.
Written by Jaime P Guimbao
Edited by Myra C. Almodiel and Anna Cañas-Llamas
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