How do you brighten up other people?
Think about a time when someone did something nice for you that totally made your day. Remember how happy you felt?
Now, it's your turn to do the same for others! February 14th - 20th is Random Acts of Kindness Week. It's a week all about making others smile by brightening their day with an unexpected kind act. Think about all the people you interact with from day to day, whether in-person or online. Your family, friends, coworkers, random people... it doesn't matter. They could all use a little more joy!
The goal of Random Acts of Kindness Week is to create more happiness in the world and get people to think about someone other than themselves. Kindness is important when you consider all the problems happening in the world. There's homelessness, abuse, job loss, mental illness, hunger, natural disasters -- not to mention a devastating pandemic. People who do good deeds are bringing hope to a world that really needs it.
An act of kindness can mean a lot to someone, even though it may seem to you like something small. You don't always know what someone is going through, even if they appear to be happy and fine. So, why not do something nice for them? For the person on the receiving end, your "small" good deed might be just what they needed to feel better after going through a tough time.
Kindness not only benefits others, but yourself as well! Research has shown that regularly performing acts of kindness can lower your cortisol (known as the "stress hormone") and increase oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins, which are chemicals that improve your mood. Doing kind things can reduce feelings of anxiety and depression and increase your sense of self-worth. When you go out of your way to help others, you get a sense of satisfaction deep within.
The health benefits of kindness don't stop there. One study found that generosity appears to lower blood pressure! In the study, people who spent money to help others had lower blood pressure than those who spent money on themselves. Another study found that generosity seemed to lessen pain, because the act of giving reduced the brain's pain reaction. Being kind is a win-win for yourself and others!
Here are some random acts of kindness you can try:
Do a chore that someone else in your household normally does
Send a handwritten card to someone to show how much you appreciate them
Donate money or items to charity
Arrange food delivery for someone who's going through a hard time
Write an uplifting comment on someone's social media post
Help someone carry heavy items
Send someone a funny video to make them happy
Spend quality time bonding with someone, even if it's over videochat
Offer to help a neighbor with yard work
Be creative and think of your own special way to be kind!
One more thing to remember about kindness is that it is contagious. Do something nice for someone else, and they're likely to show kindness to another person. Then that person could do something nice for another person. It all starts with you, so lead the way. Explore the Good and inspire others with kindness!
