Spreading Kindness to Create Happiness Around You

A random act of kindness is doing something simple, without expectation or desire for recognition, to show you care for someone else. Performing these acts may even boost your own happiness, and happiness is contagious. It can create a ripple effect throughout your community.

Kindness is being generous with others, by giving your time, money, and talent to support those who are in need. Kindness is acting with compassion, which means being really there for someone by listening intently to their suffering or just sitting with them and silently supporting them. Such compassion involves a deep concern for the welfare of others.

However, spreading kindness does not have to be a grand gesture. Something as small as watering an elderly neighbor’s flowers or donating canned goods is still something good that deserves to be celebrated.

Here are some ideas for random acts of kindness that will brighten up someone else’s day.

Free to Less Costly Acts of Kindness

Connect with your loved ones and check-in with them
Send an encouraging texts message
Make someone laugh
Say, “This [song, TV show, job posting] made me think of you”
Write a “Thank you” note to show your appreciation
Send a shout-out to your team about a colleague who is doing a great job
Share compliments you overheard
Engage fully with those who are serving us from behind the counter
Tip your servers and waiters
Share your talents or areas of expertise
Let someone cut in front of you in a traffic jam or in line
Perform tasks at home that your partner, family, or roommate hate doing
Run an errand for someone
Bring toys, books, unused greeting cards, clothes, and linens to homeless shelters or other organizations and charities
Volunteer to help those who are vulnerable
Become a Best Buddy and help those with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Create cards for children who are hospitalized (cardzforkidz.org)
Spread inspiring, funny, or uplifting messages in chalk on your sidewalks
Donate blood or join the bone marrow registry
Leave a testimonial or review for good service
Create a holiday or appreciation day to celebrate loved ones
Pass along a useful resource
Create an email address for your children and send them memories and achievements. Give them the address when older
Let go of resentment and forgive
Practice self-compassion and be kind to yourself
Accept kindness in return, you deserve it

Monetary Acts of Kindness

Purchase a coffee for the person behind you
Donate funds to Food Banks, Breakfast Club, Meals on Wheels
Find a cause on GoFundMe
Purchase gift certificates or buy local/independent products to support small businesses
Donate a shoebox filled with essential and small luxury items for women who are homeless (www.shoeboxproject.com)
Plant a tree in someone’s name as a gift (www.alivingtribute.ca)
Send flowers or a gift basket
Adopt an animal or assist with dog walking
Participate in Habitat for Humanity and build a house
Help a teacher get the supplies needed for class
Pay for someone’s school tuition or electrical bills