Since 1998, November 13th has been recognized as World Kindness Day–a day where people all over the globe are encouraged to choose kindness and reflect on ways they can spread kindness and give back to the community around them. Kindness does not always have to be huge gestures–even little actions like lending a helping hand or telling someone close to you that you love them can mean the world.
Here are some easy ways you can spread kindness in your everyday life, not only on World Kindness Day, but just in general.
Do Some Volunteer Work
One of the best ways to spread kindness is to donate your time to help others. We all have causes that are close to our hearts and World Kindness Day is the perfect day to reflect on ways you can give back to your community and those around you. This can be anything from organizing a group to clean up the park, walking dogs at a shelter, or helping out at a local soup kitchen. Little actions like this have great impact and who knows how far your influence will reach. If you share what you want to do with family and friends, it may encourage them to get more involved as well.
Tell Someone You Love Them
This might seem obvious, but sometimes we take the people in our lives for granted and don’t tell them enough how much they mean to us. Take a moment today to tell someone in your life that you love and appreciate them. This may be a parent, sibling, friend, partner or maybe a grandparent or other extended family member that lives far away that you don’t reach out to enough. I promise you, this will make both you and your loved one feel good.
Help Out a Neighbour
With how busy all our lives are, we often have very little time to get to know and interact with our neighbours aside from a simple “Good Morning!” when you see them as you rush to work. An easy way to spread some kindness is to do something special for a neighbour. If you have a neighbour who’s a busy single parent, maybe offer to babysit so they can have an hour or two to relax, or offer a drive to one of your neighbours who are elderly or don’t have a car. These favours may seem small, but you never know what someone is going through and some thing like this may be just what they needed to cheer them up and relieve some tress from their lives.
Time for Self-Care
Being kind to others is very important, but you can’t spread kindness unless you are first kind to yourself. Take some time to pamper yourself, treat yourself to your favourite meal, or make a plan to finally cut that toxic person from your life. Unless you are happy and healthy, both mentally and physically, and being kind to yourself, you will not be able to fully extend that kindness outwards. You want to make sure it is the best you that is out there conquering the world!
