Psychologist Tara Cousineau draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to show how compassion and empathy are hardwired into our DNA and essential to our survival. This book teaches effective skills in compassion, mindfulness, and social and emotional learning, and reveals successful social policy initiatives in empathy taking place that inform everything from family life to education to the workplace

Kindness takes effort -- Part 1: To be human is to be kind -- Your kindness instinct -- Happy to help -- Cultivating courage -- Compassionate on purpose -- Imagination's objects of affection -- Kinship of belonging to each other -- Part 2: Your caring mind -- Reset your stress -- Befriending your senses -- Emotional paradox -- Power of a pause -- Face-to-heart connections -- Hugs and high fives -- Taking in kindness -- Part 3: Kindfulness -- Mindfulness with heart -- Your loving self -- Naturalness of being -- Radical acceptance -- Singing for our souls -- Cherishing the little things -- An attitude of gratitude -- Part 4: Kindsight -- Grace and grit -- Forgiveness is a gift to yourself -- Apologies make for a friendly world -- Writing new beginnings -- Accepting a helping hand -- Gifts in kind -- Networks of generosity -- Conclusion: Reimagining kindness