Random Acts of Kindness Week (Feb 9th-15th)

This week (February 9th-15th) is Random Acts of Kindness Week.

You can check out the official website here and find out what this week is all about and find ways be kind throughout the week.

This week is all about going out of your way to do something kind for others. It’s not always about the recognition or the praise – it’s more about the way it feels to be kind to others. It makes you feel good inside and it brings joy to your heart.

Here are 5 of my favorite ideas:

1. Pay for someone in line behind you. You can do this at a coffee shop or a drive through and it’s a nice surprise for someone you don’t even know. It doesn’t even have to be much – if you’re at a coffee shop, maybe $3-4 should be enough to cover someone’s order and make their day.
2. Bake something delicious and take it into school/work to share with everyone. You could bake some cookies or muffins and share – baked goods are always a hit (just make sure not to use any nuts – many people are allergic!).
3. Make a bird-feeder – or buy one and fill it up with some bird food and hang it up in your front/back yard.
4. Leave sticky note compliments. Write some generic and kind compliments on some sticky notes and stick them in places where people will see; you can stick them on on mirrors or car windshield (only leave 1 per car or people might get irritated with you…) or in library books, pretty much anywhere. This is a surefire way to make someone feel special.
5. Say thank you to someone/to everyone. Say thank you to your cashier, your co-worker, your waitress, your teacher, your parents, your siblings, your best friend, your kids, your dog – anyone. Be genuine and say thank you, show your appreciation.

You can find more ideas here!

I love the idea of this week because it lets be known that being kind is important. What I love most is that a lot of the things we can think of doing this week are things that we can always do and we should always do. We should always go out of our way to be kind to people, we should always hold the door open and say thank you because we are able to do that. If you can make someone’s day, even if it’s someone you don’t know, you should. It makes them feel good and it makes you feel good, it’s a win-win.

An important thing to remember is to be kind to yourself, not just others. Remember to stay hydrated, go on a nice long walk, take a bath, eat some cheesecake, take a nap, buy yourself some flowers, and listen to your favorite song. You’re important so be kind to yourself and be kind to others.