How to Celebrate World Kindness Day

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and blind can see.” -Mark Twain

World Kindness Day is celebrated throughout the world on November 13th every year. Driven by the World Kindness Movement, this unofficial holiday encourages people to be kind to one another and spread peace, joy and happiness through acts of kindness. These acts of kindness can be as simple as sharing a smile with a stranger or giving someone a compliment. All acts count as long as they involve behaving nicely or performing warmhearted acts without expecting anything in return. 

While you should strive to be kind everyday, you should try and make a little extra effort on the 13th. Not only will these acts of kindness make you feel good, but kindness also has many health benefits including healthier hearts and better aging effects. Here are a number of random acts of kindness that you can easily do to help celebrate World Kindness Day and spread a little happiness.

Ideas on how to celebrate World Kindness Day

1.) Start your day with a smile and make an effort to give everyone you pass a big friendly smile. This may not seem like an insignificant act of kindness, but you would be surprised just how much of difference a simple smile can make in someone else’s day.

2.) Make an effort to only post positive updates on all your social media accounts. Only post uplifting, motivating or inspiring things to provoke others to practice random acts of kindness for the day.

3.) Give out compliments to friends, coworkers and even strangers.

4.) Leave a note with words of encouragement on someone’s car or desk. 

5.) Buy the person behind you in line a coffee or pay the toll for the car behind you. 

6.) Do something special for your co workers, like bringing them a cup of coffee or their favorite breakfast sandwich in the morning. Not only will this make you feel good but it can also help boost office morale. 

7.) Humans aren’t the only ones who need love and kindness. Volunteer at a local animal shelter or donate needed items (blankets, toys, food, towels etc.). 

8.) Be kind to the furry strays in your area by leaving out a clean bowl of water for them to drink from.

9.) Leave the exact change for a soda or snack in the change slot of a vending machine. 

10) Cut your neighbor’s lawn or rake their leaves. 

11.) Leave a treat or thank you note in your mailbox for your mail carrier to find. 

12.) Do your roommate’s laundry, make their bed or wash their dishes for them.

13.) Prepare a healthy home cooked meal for your significant other or invite friends over for dinner.

14.) Donate used books, shoes, home goods or clothes to your local Goodwill. 

15.) Call someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Sometimes we forget how nice it can be to have an actual conversation with someone on the phone instead of emailing or texting them. 

16.) Your kindness does not have to focus on just people- you should also practice random acts of kindness to the environment as well. Everytime you go outside try to pick up just three pieces of litter that will keep your neighborhood a little more clean.

17.) If you take public transportation you can easily perform a random act of kindness by giving up your seat on the train or bus to someone else.

18.) Give your server a generous tip and write a special thank you note for them on the receipt. 

19.) Learn the names of people you encounter every day and introduce yourself (“Coffee Girl” and “Gas Station Dude” are not their real names). 

20.) Learn CPR. You could end up saving someone’s life. 

21.) Bake a cake or cupcakes for everyone in the office. 

22.) Be kind to yourself. Take a relaxing bubble bath or treat yourself to a nice meal. In order to take care of others, you must first take care of yourself. 

23.) The chilly winter months are coming. Gather winter coats, jackets, blankets, scarves, hats and other winter necessities and donate them to a local shelter or a to a family in need. 

24.) Be a kind driver. Give up a parking spot, let a car pass you or let someone merge into your lane. 

25.) Offer to babysit for a couple or single parent in need of some relaxation time. 

Put a smile on someone’s face on World Kindness Day! 

These simple acts of kindness take little effort on your part to perform, but can make a huge difference in someone else’s day. Celebrate World Kindness Day on November 13th by spreading a little bit of happiness with a smile or showing your coworkers you were thinking of them with a cup of coffee to start their day. Even the smallest actions can turn someone’s day completely around and it can make you feel better about your day as well.

We love spreading happiness through volunteering!  

Volunteering is always a great way to show kindness for others. Here at A Courteous Communications we give back to local charities and outreach programs at various times throughout the year. Volunteering can have so many positive benefits that you should strive to give back all year round and not just on National Kindness Day.