Are you being kind to the world? It’s World Kindness Day on 13th November – a whole day dedicated to good deeds in the community. Kindness could be considered a fundamental part of the human condition, with the power to remove what divides us; race, religion, politics, gender, and nationalities.
Not only that, it has a powerful effect on our own wellbeing not only when someone is intentionally kind to us, but when we show kindness to another in need.
Here are a few ways you can introduce little acts of kindness into your life.
7 Ways to make kindness the norm in your life
Daily gratitude
Whether you jot it in a journal or say it quietly to yourself, make a note of three things you’re grateful for every day. Research shows the more grateful we are in our lives, the happier and kinder we are.
Pay it forward with a suspended coffee
Coffees! The suspended coffee movement started in 2013. Some cafes offer us the opportunity to support someone in need by buying an extra coffee to ‘suspend’ for them to redeem at another time. Ask your local if they’re supporters or check out the list of cafes online and start paying it forward.
Send an uplifting SMS or a card by way of the postman
You can buy gratitude cards from stationery or gift shops and surprise someone with words of kindness. Everyone loves mail. Or, a simple SMS will also do.
Take a chill pill on the roads
Is it just us? Or is road rage happening every day now? Next time someone needs to merge into your lane, invite them in with a smile and a wave.
Intentional acts of kindness
Someone look lost? Ask if they need help.
Lady struggling with her groceries? Offer to help carry them to her car.
Herb and vege garden bursting with produce? Pack some up and offer it to friends and strangers to enjoy for free.
Share your umbrella with a stranger.
Compliment freely
We’ve forgotten how to give and receive compliments. If Gloria looks glorious in her new frock, let her know. If Steve kindly baked muffins for the office, compliment him on his generosity and epic baking skills = Not hard, but will make people so happy.
Invite someone to lunch, just because
Maybe you haven’t seen or heard from a friend in a while, or maybe you’ve seen your colleague stressed and out of sorts – randomly invite someone out to lunch (or coffee!) just because.
When we meet with clients for the first time, we know they’re not only in need of legal representation. They’re likely to be at their most vulnerable and as such, are in need of kindness, too. We try making space for little acts of kindness to help make someone’s day just that little bit brighter. What will you do this World Kindness Day?
“Kindness starts with one. One smile. One compliment. One cup of coffee. One conversation.” – Brooke Jones (VP, The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation)