20 Random Acts of Kindness to do this 17th February

Make someone’s day brighter

Today (17^th February) is Random Acts of Kindness Day! If that leaves you scratching your head don’t worry, we’ve got you. It was started in 1995 by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation to make kindness the norm, something we at Park HQ totally support.

The idea is simple, to encourage people to perform a random act of kindness on one single day, however small. Hopefully seeing the positive impact of that perform random acts more regularly, bringing more positivity to those around us.

Park’s saving experts have put together suggestions on how to make the best of Random Acts of Kindness Day. No matter how small the idea is, if it’s enough to make a friend, family member or even a stranger smile then it’s a good one. If we can learn anything from Random Acts of Kindness Day, it should be the importance of being kind.

Kindness makes the world go round

There are many advantages to being kind. According to studies, performing acts of kindness has a positive impact on our mental health, as well as the person we are kind to. The science around it involves the release of endorphins – the brain’s happiness chemical, when we do something good. It can help us build better self-esteem, empathy, compassion and improve our overall mood.

‘Helper’s high’ is the term used to describe that feeling. Here’s a list of things we can all do to get that feeling:

1. Smile: Perhaps the simplest of gestures, but how often are we walking around in our own world looking sour? Flashing a kind smile costs nothing, but can make a person’s day.
2. Practice self-kindness: Being kind to ourselves is too often overlooked. It doesn’t have to be something massive, maybe paying our reflection a compliment when we look in the mirror.
3. Pop someone a text: Whether we send them a quick hello, or let them know how much they really mean to us, a kind text to someone we love can go a long way.
4. Thank someone for their service: From teachers and nurses to those who collect our bins, there is a network of people dedicated to making our lives better. They’re real life superheroes, so let them know how much their hard work is appreciated.
5. Give compliments: Let someone know you like how they’ve done their makeup, or how they handled a tricky situation. Shout out someone at work for doing a great job, then let whoever you live with know they’re rocking it. We can always pat ourselves on the back if we live by ourselves – we’ve earned it!
6. Write a gratitude list: Writing it down can help you remember past kindnesses others have shown you. Make a list and be sure to return the favour in the best way you can think of.
7. Pay it forward: Picking up the cost of a strangers order behind you in the queue at a coffee shop is a great way to perform an anonymous random act of kindness.
8. Make someone laugh: Cracking our best (or worst) jokes to leave someone in stiches is always a winner.
9. Have a clear out and donate unwanted items to a charity shop: As the old saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and there is a growing number of families in need of support during these tough times.
10. Make someone a hot drink: Time is our greatest gift. Spend some making a colleague a cuppa, it’ll probably save them a couple of quid too.
11. Make a cash donation to charity: Big or small, charities can make your donations do great things for people.
12. Celebrate someone’s accomplishment: Shout loud and proud about a colleague or loved one’s achievement. Even if we’re great at telling people how good they are, do we hype them up to everyone else enough?
13. Support a local business: Not only do small businesses build a stronger economy, they also build a stronger community and they are always hugely grateful for new customers.
14. Make someone feel included: Sometimes we need to step back to see this one, but is there someone we think is in our group that is a bit detached? Or someone we often think of as on their own? Make the effort to bring them into the conversation and let their voice be heard.
15. Leave a good review: Reviews matter to every business these days. If we encounter great service or visit an amazing place, leaving a good review is an easy way to spread positivity.
16. Run an errand for someone: We’re all busy, we get that. But sparing a little time to help someone else and make their life a little less hectic can mean the world to them.
17. Donate blood: One of the simplest, yet most impactful acts of kindness, we can help save lives by giving blood. One donation can help up to three people. Check out Give Blood to see where your local centre is.
18. Open doors for other people: And if someone opens the door for us, thank them with that smile we mentioned earlier.
19. Pick up litter: If we see some rubbish on the street, do the environment a favour and chuck it in the nearest bin.
20. Give a surprise gift: We don’t need to break the bank on this one, but whether it’s a cup of tea or a gift card, giving a gift without reason can really help someone perk up, especially if they’re having a bad day.