Today is ‘World Kindness Day’, the perfect day to show thanks to others in your life. Remember to always be kind - a small act of kindness that can go a long way. Being a kind person can help others feel better and you can also experience benefits for your own mental health.
If you need ideas or inspiration for being kinder, we have seven ways to practice kindness today.
1. Write a thoughtful message to someone you value
Life can get busy, and it can be hard to express your thoughts. Why not write your thoughts in a text, card, or letter instead? Writing a thoughtful message gives you time to think about what you want to say, whether it's a friend, co-worker, or family member.
Writing about your positive feelings has been proven to improve mental health. One positive way you can express your feelings to others is through journaling. This can also improve your physical health. New studies show that people who practice gratitude feel less aches and pains.
Read our blog on Five techniques to practice gratitude to learn more about journaling.
2. Surprise a friend with a homemade gift
Many people enjoy a thoughtful gift – it doesn’t need to be expensive, just something they will like and make them feel good. Looking for ideas for creating something homemade? Look at our arts and crafts courses for inspiration.
3. Share a positive quote or other forms of good news
An easy way to spread kindness is by sharing good news or something fun by text, email or social media. Post or share something that you think might make somebody smile. This could be a quote, an inspiring story or simply good memories.
4. Cook a meal or baked goods
Good food is something we all look forward to. Why not invite someone to a meal or bake a tin of your best biscuits to share? Giving someone a home-cooked meal is a great way to show how much you value them.
Explore our cookery and baking courses too for some ideas.
5. Reach out to someone to say you appreciate them
We all have someone in our lives who has taught us something important. This could be a teacher, a friend, or a family member. Their lessons have made a difference in our lives. Show your thanks to them in an email or card to say that you're grateful for all they've done.
Listen to our WEA learner, Abdalazeez. He is grateful to his tutor, Bahar, for helping him gain interview confidence.
6. Providing a listening ear
Looking out for each other in and around our communities is important. This is how we protect and maintain good mental health for everyone. Maybe a close friend or relative feels stuck with their personal life or job and isn’t sure what their next step should be. Or, perhaps someone you love is just having a bad day.
You can help them by simply listening or offering some suggestions. This could be anything from a career change or simply making more time for themselves.
7. Give time to a charitable cause
Making a donation to a charity is a great act of kindness and will help support a cause that is close to your heart. However, showing support to charities isn't only about giving money. You can spend time volunteering, and even just one day could help many charities. Volunteering allows you to get involved with a cause you care about and meet like-minded people.
If you're looking for places to volunteer, have you thought about supporting WEA? As an educational charity, we aim to make learning available to everyone. If you'd like to help us in our mission, find out how to become a volunteer.
How you choose to show kindness today to others is up to you. Perhaps you can practice some of these every day to show care for those you value.
If you’re interested in learning more about our charity, you can read some of our learner stories here:
Or, become a member here:
