A little bit of kindness goes a long way

Our daily lives can be filled with hustle and bustle – things like work, school, family life, traveling, and other commitments can make the hours fly by in a blur. But at the end of the day, what we tend to remember most are the little things: a free refill at our favorite coffee shop, receiving an unexpected text from a friend, the person who let us skip ahead in line at the grocery store.
 
These small acts of kindness add up quickly. In fact, studies have shown that kindness not only promotes gratitude, empathy and compassion toward others, but it can also have a positive impact on our own health and well-being.⁽¹⁾
 
National Random Acts of Kindness Day, celebrated each year on February 17, invites us to show kindness to family, friends, neighbors, and strangers alike.
 

Here are a few easy ways to show kindness to those around you:

• Hold the door open for the person behind you
• Help someone carry something
• Ask someone about their day – and really listen!
• Let someone have the right-of-way during your commute

Have a little extra time? Consider trying one of these ideas:

• Send an encouraging email to a coworker who inspires you
• Write encouraging sticky notes and leave them for someone to find
• Send a handwritten thank-you care or note to someone who helped you
• Share a homemade meal with family and friends
• Leave a positive review on Yelp or Facebook for a business, service or organization you love
• Surprise someone special with something small
• Let people know how important they are to you
• Shovel your neighbor’s driveway
• Donate food, clothing, household goods, and other items to people in need
• Volunteer your time at a local nonprofit to help support your community

Choose one (or more!) of these random acts of kindness to do this weekend. Remember that no matter how small the act, what we do matters, and might just brighten someone’s day!
 
“Do small things with great love.” (Mother Teresa)
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” (Aesop)
“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” (Lucius Annaeus Seneca)

⁽¹⁾ Sreenivasan, Shoba, and Linda E. Weinberger. “Why Random Acts of Kindness Matter to Your Wellbeing.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 16 Nov. 2017.