By Susan Damico, M.A.

As a child, and particularly during my teen years whenever I was feeling sorry for myself, my mom would say, “If you want to feel better, go do something kind for someone.” At the time, this was not the advice I wanted to hear. I was looking for more coddling and sympathy. As an adult, I can look back and see the wisdom of the advice and I am grateful that it was instilled in me at such a young age.

The research is very clear about the power of kindness. Being kind is good for your mental health, workplaces that reflect kindness are more productive, and grateful parents have better relationships with their children. And, as we grapple with levels of anxiety and depression that are at record highs, it is hopeful to learn that the science also reveals that performing random acts of kindness can moderate depressive and anxious symptoms.

The researchers behind this particular study believe that practicing random acts of kindness helps build our sense of belonging and strengthens social connections, two critical elements of overall health and happiness. It was with these latest findings in mind about the positive outcomes of random acts of kindness (and with Random Acts of Kindness Week/Day in mind) that I challenged myself to come up with a list of small acts of kindness. My goal was to come up with ideas that feel small, take little time, require no monetary value, and feel very doable. With the spirit of building social connections in mind, I would like to invite you to review my list and then offer your own ideas using the comment box. Think about it this way…if you decide to add your own ideas here, well…consider it your random act of kindness for today.

1. Listen to a friend – really listen. The next time you find yourself in a conversation with someone who is sharing information, give the person your full attention. Make a conscious, intentional decision to pay attention to their every word. That’s it!
2. Compliment a parent on their child’s behavior. If you are a parent, you know this to be true: Hearing positive things about your child always feels good and never gets old. If you notice a child doing something positive, anything positive, tell their parent that you noticed and that they should feel proud. This could be a perfect stranger in a store or a relative or a neighbor in your community.
3. Send a thank-you text, email, or letter in the mail. Think about someone in your life who you would like to thank. This person could be from the distant past or someone who just helped you recently. Take a few moments to make sure the person knows you appreciate them.
4. Smile, make eye contact, and say “hello” to a person you see on the street. I believe this needs no further explanation.
5. Leftovers. If you cook and find that you have leftover food on occasion, find an organization that brings meals to individuals who experience food insecurity. You can put the meals in your freezer and drop them off when you have a supply to share.