Why Being Kind Can Be Good for Your Mental Health

Did you know that there is such a thing as “World Kindness Day”? It was established in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement and is observed every November 13th in several different countries, including the United States. Individuals participate in acts of kindness and promote good deeds for others.

My question is, why isn’t everyday kindness day? 

Wouldn’t our world look so different if people took the time to be kind to others on a regular basis? 

There is research that shows that kindness can improve both your physical and your emotional health. Kindness promotes gratitude, empathy, compassion and interconnectedness. Helping others makes you feel good about yourself because you are doing something of your own free will that helps a fellow human being (or animal!). It makes the recipient feel grateful for the help or good deed and we all know that feeling grateful is a pillar to happiness.

Whether it’s helping your elderly neighbor carry in her groceries or sending your colleague a “great job” email after his presentation or it’s buying a coffee for the person in line behind you at Starbucks, your acts of kindness will not only impact how you feel and how the recipient feels, but there’s a good chance that it may be paid forward in some way.  

I like to think of myself as a kind person. I do my best to help those who are in need, I perform random acts of kindness from time to time and I do my best to remind my family members and friends how much I appreciate them. I even ask my kids to tell me at least one thing they are thankful for and one way they helped somebody because I want my kids to be kind kids. 

They report things like, “My friend fell on the playground and I walked her to the nurse” or “I was the first to finish my classwork in math and then helped my friend who was struggling”. It’s been a part of our daily routine since my now 6^th grader was in kindergarten. If they struggle to come up with something from their school day, they know that they have the rest of the day/evening to lend a helping hand. While it would be great if their helping became automatic, I do want them to stop and take notice about how good it feels to help someone else.

To challenge myself, I am naming the month of April as “Random Acts of Kindness Month”. Every day this month I plan to intentionally perform at least one act of kindness for the people around me; family, friends and strangers alike. My hope is that it will create a ripple effect and that the recipients of my random acts of kindness will inspire them to pay it forward.

I hope you will follow along with me on my Facebook Business page Unlimited You, LLC each day as I post about my random acts of kindness. But even more importantly, I hope you’ll join me in “Random Acts of Kindness Month” and share with me on my FB page what random acts of kindness you’ve engaged in! Happy Helping!