Random Acts of Kindness

The phrase is thought to have originated from auto Anne Herbert in 1982. A “random act of kindness” is exactly what the phrase means: something you do for someone else without expecting anything in return. It is said to improve one’s overall well-being and is a form of self-care.

Studies have shown that altruism triggers the release of feel-good chemicals from our brain. People who help others are said to feel stronger, calmer and more energetic.

Kindness increases our sense of belonging which is known to prolong life spans. Other studies have shown that kindness lowers stress, anxiety and depression.

We’ve listed some ideas below for random acts of kindness:
1. Give a compliment
2. Bake a cake for your neighbour and drop it off at their doorstep
3. Call a friend or family member to check in on them
4. Order someone a meal from the local takeaway
5. Pay for the person’s drink in the queue behind you
6. Start a loose change jar, use the money to buy something for someone or donate the money to charity
7. Give a compliment to somebody
8. Buy local and support your local businesses
9. Cook somebody their favourite meal
10. Leave a bag of sweets at your friend’s house with a note
11. Write a positive message on a post it notes for somebody in your household
12. Call a friend that you haven’t spoken to in a while
13. Tell somebody why you are grateful for them
14. Offer to pay for somebody’s shopping if they have forgotten their wallet
15. Put on somebody’s favourite song and ask to dance