World Kindness Day // Random Acts of Kindness
Today is World Kindness Day.
Cambridge Dictionary defines kindness as the state of being generous, helpful, or genuinely caring about others.
Kindness is often sacrificial and is the process of orienting ourselves outward for the good of others instead of inward for the good of ourselves. Showing kindness can be hard, but it is extremely good. There are only positive results when it comes to kindness.
The simple act of kindness can do wonders for your mental health. Research supports that both being kind and receiving kindness can put you in a better mood. Let’s dive into these two questions:
What are the benefits of being kind? What are the benefits of receiving kindness?
You might find that the answers to these two questions are quite similar! The benefits of giving kindness include:
Increased production of serotonin and dopamine (hormones that make you feel good)
Increased sense of purpose and belonging in the world
Deepening of relationships with others
Overall greater happiness
Lower levels of stress
Greater feelings of satisfaction
Lowers blood pressure and decreases aches and pains according to
Now, the benefits of receiving kindness are not much different. These benefits include:
Feeling loved
Forming deeper connections with people
Helps lower stress
Encourages you to give kindness in return
Gives you a more positive outlook on life
Helps you love others better
Feeling fulfilled and satisfied
Both giving and receiving kindness have extensive lists of benefits. If both parties benefit from kindness, why not intentionally practice it more? If everyone chose to give a little more of their time and energy to being kind, this world would be a much better place.
In honor of National Kindness Day, here are 10 random acts of kindness you can do to make someone’s day! In doing this, your day will likely get a lot better too. 🙂
Pay for the coffee behind you in the drive-through
Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a long time
Write a letter to someone telling them why you love them
Bake a treat for your neighbors
Give a $50 tip
Bring coffee to a loved one at work
Cook a meal for someone going through a difficult time
Hide encouraging notes in a grocery store
Find a non-profit to donate to
Buy flowers for your teacher or boss
Kindness is one of the most simple and easy tools to help better your own mental health and the mental health of those around you.
Never underestimate its power! Watch the video below to make you smile and open your eyes to how much of an impact small acts of kindness can make!