Today is World Kindness Day and while we obviously wish that it was every single day, we understand the need for reminding. Sometimes we need to be reminded to be kind, to others, but especially to ourselves. With the whole world spreading random acts of kindness intentionally today, we wanted to share our ideas of how to do so with you. We’ve broken down our acts of kindness into three categories: Kindness to Self, Kindness to Others, Kindness to the World. We are challenging you to complete an act of kindness in each of the three categories – good luck!
Kindness to Self
Extending kindness to yourself is the greatest act of compassion. Unfortunately, we are our own worst critics so even while things are going great, we can convince ourselves otherwise. Today is the day to give yourself a break and treat yourself with the utmost kindness. Here are a few ways to extend kindness to yourself today.
- Watch your self-talk. Talk to yourself like you would someone you love. Stop the negative chatter loop you normally reside in.
- Eat a nourishing meal. Sometimes it’s cheaper and easier to swing by the drive-through, but today treat yourself to a healthy and nourishing meal. Pretend you are feeding a dear friend who is suffering. What fresh, whole foods would you serve to them?
- Get some exercise or go for a walk. At times exercising feels impossible, but in truth it always makes us feel better. Even a twenty-minute walk is great exercise, you don’t need to suffer and sweat during a spin class, just get outside and walk it off for a while.
- Write a love letter to yourself. Pretend you are a tiny baby and write a letter to the younger you. Promise to take care of you and cherish you for the beautiful and unique gift of life that you are. Then read the letter to yourself in front of a mirror – we know it’s hard, but it’s helpful!
- Go to bed early. Snuggle in and treat yourself to some extra rest tonight.
Kindness to Others
Often times it is easier to be kinder to others than we are to our own selves, but realize that unless you have mastered self-love, you cannot truly extend love to others. Only when our cup is overflowing can we offer it. After you’ve been kind to yourself today, you can extend that kindness to others. You can practice love and kindness with complete strangers or close friends. Here are a few ideas:
- Buy or pick flowers for someone.
- Write a few thank you cards. Thank people for supporting you and being a good friend or a shining example of kindness in the world.
- Bring a healthy snack in for the whole office. Everyone loves to nibble, especially if it’s guilt free.
- Make eye contact and smile with each person you interact with today, even the small interactions like the cashier at the gas station and the toll booth attendant.
- Send a group text to your family or a group of friends and let them know you love and appreciate them. This is possibly the most simple suggestion but will surely make a difference in the recipients’ day.
Kindness to the World
Lastly, spread your kindness out into the world. The world will feel the love you have already extended to yourself and others, by means of reverberation, but here are specific ways you can aid our earth.
- Reduce, reuse, recycle. Is there a business or space you frequently visit that needs recycling bins? A park, store, or your office? See if you can help start the process. It may be as simple as asking.
- Start a compost pile. It’s a simple act that will keep tons of food from landfills over the course of your family’s lifetime. Many cities have compost pickup services or nearby dropoff sites.
- Donate your time or money to an environmentally friendly movement. If you cannot volunteer today, put something on the calendar and be concrete about it.
- Walk, run, ride a bike, take public transportation, or carpool to work. Try to incorporate one of these methods at least once a week.
- Clean up the litter on your block, favorite trail, or stretch of road that you often use. Your example will inspire others.
Being nice is easy. It all starts from within. Once you are able to cultivate a kind inner monologue, you are more likely to extend that compassion outside of yourself. World Kindness Day is a moment to evaluate how kind we are being to ourselves and others – hopefully, you can find a way to work in a few random acts of kindness today and each day.
