Random Acts of Kindness Day falls on the 17th of February, but kindness doesn’t have to stop there. Take a look at these easy ways to show kindness so we can #MakeKindnessTheNorm.
Be kind to yourself
Ultimately, kindness needs to start with you. Showing yourself some self-love lets us keep our bodies and minds happy and healthy.
1. Set yourself some goals
We all have goals that we wish to achieve whether it be for the day, week, or year. Taking some time to think about what that goals are can help us reach our potential. Setting SMART goals are a great way to do this.
2. Relax
What things do you like to do to relax? Perhaps you love to play games, watch movies, or speak to your friends and family. Doing things that help us reduce stress and relax can help us to feel better.
3. Have a shower or a bath
Making sure we stay on top of our hygiene is important for our bodies, but it is also a good opportunity to wash away things that bother us and feel fresh and ready to tackle new challenges.
4. Reduce screen time
We spend a lot of time staring at screens. Our daily lives are filled with looking at our phones, TV’s, gaming consoles, tablets, laptops or interactive whiteboards. Be kind to your eyes and mind by taking some time away from the screen and doing something a little different like reading a book, doing a jigsaw, creating some art, or being mindful.
5. Exercise
Moving your body can be a great way to show ourselves some kindness. You don’t need to go to the gym – you could get out for a walk or follow a YouTube workout. Exercising can help to boost our levels of dopamine (happy hormones) and reduce levels of cortisol (stress hormone).
Be kind to others
It’s also lovely to show others that you care by being kind. You don’t have to be kind just to people you know either. Here are a few random ideas to show kindness in your lives.
1. Comment something new on a social media post
We often get into a habit of just scrolling on social media. If you see something that made you smile or that you find useful, let the person who posted it know that you found it valuable. If you’re not on social media or want to be more old school, you could leave a nice note on someone’s car windscreen.
2. Make someone a gift
Whether you’d like to bake a cake, paint a picture, or knit a scarf, getting creative by making a gift for someone you care about can be a great way to show kindness. It can boost your own mental well-being and show others that you care about them.
3. Donate things you don’t use
Do you have some things that you own that you don’t use anymore? Instead of throwing them away, why not give them to people in need for free? You could donate them to a local charity shop or advertise that you no longer need something on a local community group page on Facebook. If you don’t have anything to give away, why not donate your time by volunteering?
4. Check on the elderly in your community
Our elderly neighbours or people in your community are often a lot more isolated than we know. Try to make more effort to start a conversation with the elderly. Just asking someone about their day or how they are doing can make a massive difference in their lives. If you really love this idea, why not volunteer to join a befriending scheme in your local area to tackle loneliness in the elderly community.
5. Litter pick
Show respect and kindness to your local community and the environment by going out and litter picking. Here are some great tips to get you started.
Related Information
We can #MakeKindnesstheNorm. If you do a random act of kindness – we’d love to hear about it. Tag us on social media so we can see all the great things you get up to!
Check out the Random Act of Kindness Foundation to see more ideas about showing kindness.
