Random Acts of Kindness: List of 99+ Ideas & ExamplesWhat are random acts of kindness and how might you practice them in your life? Get tons of ideas for how to use random acts of kindness (and boost your well-being).
What Are Random Acts of Kindness? (A Definition)Random acts of kindness are acts performed by a person wishing to either help or positively affect another person (Passmore & Oades, 2015). Sometimes random acts of kindness are defined as kind acts that one does only for someone they don’t know (Baskerville et al., 2000), but this doesn’t seem to be the magic ingredient (Curry et al., 2018). Simply being kind has benefits for well-being (and that’s what we’re focused on here).
The Benefits of Random Acts of KindnessKindness is one of the most valued character strengths in Western society (Binfet, 2015). We like kind people, so being kind can help us be liked. Beyond that, being kind has been shown to boost not only others’ well-being but also our own personal well-being. For example, if we spend more money on others we are generally happier, and if we volunteer to help others, we are generally healthier (Curry et al., 2018).
Why might random acts of kindness be good for us? Some researchers have proposed that happiness is just the emotional experience we have when we act in ways that promote our survival. Given that kindness helps us build healthy relationships with others—others who may be able to protect and support us—evolutionary psychologists believe that kindness makes us happy because it helps us survive and thrive. This may be especially true when we help family, friends, community members, and spouses (Curry et al., 2018). Who practices random acts of kindness? Researchers suggest that some people are more likely to practice random acts of kindness than others. Here are some of the things that might lead us to be kind:
Video: How One Act Of Kindness a Day Can Change Your LifeExamples of Random Acts of KindnessMany of us want to try random acts of kindness but were just not sure how. What exactly is a random act of kindness anyway? To get you a sense of what we’re talking about, here are a few examples:
These are not totally dissimilar from how we might show love to a romantic partner (read more about the love languages here). Random Acts of Kindness ListWant to start engaging in random acts of kindness? Here’s a big list of ideas. Feel free to do any of these ideas or change them in ways that fit your life or your style.
Ideas for Random Acts of Kindness at Work
Ideas for Random Acts of Kindness in Relationships
Random Acts of Kindness for KidsThere has been a recent push to teach children how to engage in prosocial acts like random acts of kindness (Binfet, 2015). Given how we learn everything easier when we’re young and how beneficial kindness can be for relationships, health, and well-being, it makes sense to encourage kids to engage in random acts of kindness. But what does kindness mean when it comes to children?
Kids are not totally unlike adults. According to researchers, kids’ perspective of kindness is that it is “an act of emotional or physical support that helps build or maintain relationships with others” (Binfet & Gaertner, 2015, pp. 36-37). Given this definition, what might be some random acts of kindness for kids? Here are some ideas. Ideas for random acts of kindness for kids
Random Acts of Kindness DayGiven how beneficial random acts of kindness are for our (and others’) well-being, there is now officially a random acts of kindness day, which is held on February 17th of each year (in the US). Sometimes, the week surrounding random acts of kindness day is also called random acts of kindness week. This day (and week) is meant to celebrate and encourage random acts of kindness. The hope is that it’ll encourage acts of altruism, kindness, community service, and generally ‘paying it forward’.
Random Acts of Kindness QuotesDo you need some inspiration to start engaging in random acts of kindness? Here are some cute quotes that will hopefully get you fired up:
Random Acts of Kindness VideosWatching other people engage in random acts of kindness may help us to follow suit. So here are some videos that might inspire and motivate you.
Video: Random Acts of FlowersVideo: Random Acts of Kindness - Faith In Humanity RestoredMore Articles Related to KindnessIf you want to keep learning about random acts of kindness and other prosocial activities, here are a few good articles to check out.
Products & Books Related to KindnessHere are some books to explore if you want to keep learning about kindness and the positive impacts it can have on your life.
Final Thoughts on Random Acts of KindnessKindness is a fantastic tool to use to grow your well-being. It’s not only good for you but has a positive impact on others. Hopefully, you discovered some ways to practice random acts of kindness so that you can more easily implement this tool in your real life.
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