“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