Having a Bucket list (or in my case, A Kettle List) isn’t just about far-flung adventures, one of the tasks I have set myself is to carry out ’50 Acts of Random Kindness ‘. It’s something you can all have a go at.
Random Acts of Kindness
There are hundreds of videos on Youtube of people carrying out wholesome acts of random kindness. While the fact that they are filming it and then promoting themselves leaves the idea of whether they are being truly altruistic open to debate; you certainly receive a ‘feelgood’ vibe when you do something nice for someone else. Particularly if they aren’t expecting it.
The inspiration for the goal came from the tearjerking feeling I received when I watched these videos. It would be great to do selfless acts for others and cheer them up; in a world where kindness is often overlooked it would be a great longterm task to work on. And it is not all about being good to others, it can be good for you too.
The psychology behind kindness
Kindness is an action rather than an emotion. Research has found that despite the rather selfish idea behind the evolutionary concept of ‘Survival of the Fittest’, as a general rule, people will be kind to others given the option.
This may seem unlikely, given the fact that kindness to others is often viewed by the more cynical members of society as a weakness. But can a miserable bugger who only ever thinks of themselves ever truly be happy?
Being kind is strongly linked to being happy and being content. A Japanese study found that happy people were kinder and that carrying out acts of kindness make people become even kinder.
Therefore it is not too much of a jump to suggest that being kind to people can, in turn, make us feel happier. This would then encourage us to perform more kind acts and thus create a perpetual cycle of ‘niceness’.
How can being kind make us happy?
There are a number of schools of thought on this topic. Some believe it makes us more aware of our own good fortune by reminding us of our own good fortune. If you donate to a food bank, you are reminded that you have access to food and can give to others, for example.
Another suggestion is that being kind to others promotes a feeling of empathy which in turn gives people a sense of purpose, connecting them with others. Kindness is basically a great way of creating a sense of togetherness and community
Kindness is said to reduce stress and depression and even boost our immune systems. It can also help with anxiety and anger issues.’ Being kind to people’ is basically a free medication that we can all take that has no ill side-effects.
Suggestions for practising kindness
I had considered this Kettle List task completed; I had carried out my 50 + acts, mainly babysitting, buying people coffees and surprise gifts, or donating to charities. But there is so much more to be done that I thought I would leave it open for now.
Social Media
While not a great fan of Facebook, I have attempted to cultivate a feed that is encouraging and inspiring. I make a point of sharing nice pictures and interesting ideas…and avoiding politics! You too can use the power of your social media to spread happiness.
Whether you are using inspirational quotes, sharing posts from others or just putting out encouragement for your followers, everyone appreciates being wished a great day or told to “go for it”.
You could do worse than following Andy over on Twitter – I just love the encouraging and motivational tweets that light up my feed every day
Inspirational gifts
Have you ever read an amazing book, or tried out a great pamper product and thought “I know someone who would love this”? Why not treat them? I appreciate we can’t afford to fork out for gifts for people all the time, but there are often buy one, get one half price, on books in Waterstones. Charity shops are always a great place to pick up books, often for a very reasonable price.
Or if you won’t reread your copy? Give them yours. Or at least let them borrow it.
There are also often three for the price two on a number of products. How about, instead of buying yourself extra you give the free or reduced gift for one of your friends? Presents for no reason other than “I thought you would like this” are a great way to perform a random act of kindness. Just because it hasn’t cost you anything, it doesn’t make the sentiment worth any less.
Show your environment some kindness
You do not have to limit your new-found altruism to people; there is an entire world around you that can benefit from your acts of kindness. Any act that reduces your environmental impact, such as recycling, or reducing your use of one-use plastic items is an act of kindness to your community and the wider world
By planting flowers that will encourage wildlife in your garden, by reducing your use of chemicals on your lawns or flowers, and being conscious of where products you buy are sourced.
Everyone benefits if your acts of kindness are to the world in general rather than one specific person.
A Global Movement
There are so many ways we can make kindness to others a part of our everyday life. It can range from something as simple as sharing a kind word with a stranger to organising a massive charitable movement.
All of the suggestions above are doable, but can I recommend that you go and check out the RAK website? They are trying to start a global movement over there and you can help them out.
Over at the website Random Acts of Kindness, you can find resources such as lesson plans, calendars, posters, videos and stories, as well as suggestions for you to carry out your own RAK’s
There are so many suggestions over on the site, that you may get lost for a while over there – I know I did!
Over to you
What one thing can you do today that will make the world a better place, if even for one person? Why not check out the RAK website linked above for more ideas.
Let us know below what you did.