“If you’re feeling helpless, help someone.” - Aung San Suu Kyi
The holidays are fast approaching, which often means time to reflect on where you are and where you’ve been this year. You might find yourself in a completely different space than you could have ever imagined. Perhaps it’s exciting, perhaps it’s daunting, perhaps you don’t know how you feel at all. In a time of transition when you have no idea what your next steps will be, you might find solace in turning your attention to others in your life, whether they’re loved ones or strangers with whom you randomly cross paths. Whether planned or spontaneous, an act of kindness has the dual effect of energizing both you and your recipient. You might find that generously caring for someone has a profoundly positive influence on your mood. In the spirit of giving, community, and fresh starts, here are ideas, small and large, for sending out positive energy. The thing about kindness is that you can never run out.
Let another driver in and go out of your way to smile and wave at people who do the same for you.
Deliver flowers anonymously to a hospital patient.
Take an hour or two to pick up stray trash in your neighborhood.
Offer to pay someone’s food or drink bill.
Bring in lunch or baked goods to the people you work with.
Send a text or email to say hello whenever someone pops into your head.
Leave a note in a returned library book wishing the next reader a good day.
Offer to help your neighbor with yard work.
Compliment a stranger if something strikes you about him or her.
Drop off blankets at your local animal shelter.
Offer to return a stranger’s shopping cart to the bay.
Write a review online for a recent experience you enjoyed.
Tell a manager when you especially appreciated the service of an employee.
Leave positive comments on social media posts you enjoyed.
Keep an extra umbrella in your car to give to someone stranded in the rain.
Bring treats or a meal to your neighborhood fire station.
Send a care package to a friend.
Give blood or platelets.
Invite people to Thanksgiving who would otherwise be spending the holiday alone.
Introduce yourself to a neighbor you haven’t met yet.
Drop off a baked good on your neighbor’s doorstep just because.
Set up a “little free library” box in your neighborhood.
Think about someone who recently impacted you positively and write a thank-you note.
Reach out to your children’s teachers and ask if they are in need of any supplies.
Reconnect with a friend you’ve lost touch with.
Forgive someone who has wronged you.
Gift a friend a book, gift, or treat.
Write encouraging notes to your kids and put them in their lunch boxes or under their pillows.
Send articles to friends that you think they would like.
Show up early.
Even if you don’t have an answer right away, reply anyway to texts and emails, saying you’ll get back soon.
Give yourself at least an hour of guilt-free relaxation per day.
Surprise someone with a gift for his or her half-birthday.
Put in extra effort to make eye contact with people, especially when you are thanking someone.
Bring in your neighbor’s trash bins.
If you’re happy with the service, give double your usual tip.
Send funny memes or gifs to friends.
Pause a second longer before answering in an exchange with someone. They may end up sharing more if given the space.
Use people’s names more often in conversation with them.