November 13
th marks
World Kindness Day ‚ an annual celebration devoted to making the world a better place through good deeds and other kind acts. It‚s safe to say we can all agree on one thing: there‚s no such thing as too much kindness, and we could all use some more of it (now more than ever).
One of our favorite ways to spread kindness is by paying it forward through simple, random acts of kindness. Today on the Vibrant Health blog, we‚re sharing 14 inspirational ways you can ‚pay it forward‚ this year on World Kindness Day.
- Support Your Favorite Local Businesses
- Prepare a Thanksgiving Meal for Someone in Need
- Check in with Your Friends & Loved Ones
- Treat Someone Behind You In Line
- Paint a Kindness Rock
- Send Some Old Fashioned Snail Mail
- Volunteer for a Meaningful Cause
- Make a Monetary Donation
- Clean Up Your Local Neighborhood
- Send a Bouquet of Flowers ‚Just Because‚
- Leave a More Than Generous Tip
- Spread Positive Messages Out and About
- Take a Special Treat for a Neighbor
- Spread Gratitude
1. Support Your Favorite Local Businesses
It‚s no secret that businesses have been hit hard this year with the pandemic ‚ and many are still recovering.
Show your appreciation for your favorite local businesses by purchasing a gift card, ordering takeout from your go-to neighborhood bistro or leaving a raving review on their website. Don‚t underestimate your efforts; little acts of appreciation can go a long way!
2. Prepare a Thanksgiving Meal for Someone in Need
With Thanksgiving around the corner, you may be busy dreaming up your holiday menu. This year, consider giving thanks by
giving back to your local community.
Look to
Feeding America for inspiration, an organization on a mission to tackle hunger by making food more accessible in the community. You can visit their website to see how you can volunteer your time this Thanksgiving to help those in need ‚ whether it be preparing meal boxes or serving Thanksgiving dinners at your local food bank. You can
pledge to volunteer here!
3. Check in with Your Friends & Loved Ones
We get it: life gets in the way and it‚s easy to lose touch with those you care about most. That‚s why it feels especially meaningful when you go the extra mile to reach out and check in with those special people in your lives.
Give grandma a ring on the phone to see how she‚s doing, schedule a socially distant lunch date with an old friend or drop off a homemade meal or cup of coffee to a new mama. You never know when someone truly needs a little reminder that even though you may not see each other as often as you wish, you‚re
there when they need you.
4. Treat Someone Behind You In Line
There‚s nothing like getting treated to a little something special ‚ especially when it comes totally out of the blue. Next time you‚re at the coffee shop or waiting in line at the drive-through, consider treating the patron behind you.
It‚ll completely make their day, and they‚ll never know who the kind stranger was ‚ which makes it a true random act of kindness.
5. Paint a Kindness Rock
Embrace your inner child and get your crafting on‚by painting inspirational messages on rocks! The
Kindness Rocks Project ™ has one simple goal in mind: promoting random acts of kindness unexpectedly by painting and sharing inspirational rocks.
Want to spread some feel-good of your own? All you‚ll need is some rocks and nontoxic paint or paint pens, and you can let your creative imagination run free! Here‚s a simple
video tutorial to get started. Once complete, you can leave the rocks in unexpected places ‚ like on a nature walk or your neighbor‚s front porch.
6. Send Some Old Fashioned Snail Mail
Old-fashioned snail mail never goes out of style! Bust out your stashed away paper and pens, and write a handwritten letter from the heart. Your recipient will love getting a little something sweet in the mail ‚ an unexpected changeup from the usual bills or junk mail.
7. Volunteer for a Meaningful Cause
If you‚ve got some extra time on your hands and want to give back to a meaningful cause, volunteering is a great option.
Visit
VolunteerMatch to find a cause near and dear to your heart ‚ be it animals, advocacy or education. They even provide
virtual volunteer opportunities for those not comfortable leaving their homes during this time!
8. Make a Monetary Donation
If you want to give back but don‚t necessarily have the extra time on your hands, making a monetary donation to a cause you care about is a perfect alternative. Choose a charity or organization that‚s particularly meaningful to you or your family!
9. Clean Up Your Local Neighborhood
This season, take some time out of your day to ‚pay it forward‚ to Mother Earth. Take a trip to your local park, beach or public garden to clean up trash left on the ground, or check out your town‚s community & events page to join forces with others for a neighborhood clean up day!
10. Send a Bouquet of Flowers ‚Just Because‚
There‚s nothing like a fresh bouquet of flowers to brighten your day! But why should they be reserved for birthdays, holidays and anniversaries? This November, celebrate World Kindness day by sending surprise flowers with a note to a special someone ‚just because.‚
11. Leave a More Than Generous Tip
Restaurants, salons and other service-based businesses were especially hit hard during Covid-19 ‚ many still operating at limited capacity and tirelessly working to bounce back.
Next time you visit your local hair salon or dine at your favorite restaurant, make your stylist/servers day by leaving a
more than generous tip. The look on their face when they receive their unexpected tip will be worth every penny!
12. Spread Positive Messages Out and About
We all know how good it feels to receive a compliment or read a feel-good message ‚ especially when you‚re having one of
those days. So why not make someone‚s day through the written word?
Gather up some scrap paper, post-it notes or cards and fill them with positive messages, inspirational quotes or affirmations like ‚You are enough.‚ Leave them in unexpected places for others to stumble upon like the gym locker room, car windshield, bathroom mirrors or your kiddos lunchbox!
13. Bake a Special Treat for a Neighbor
Food is love, so why not spread some kindness by baking a special treat for a neighbor or friend in need? Get your apron out and whip up your favorite family recipe ‚ be it your famous casserole or seasonal pumpkin pie. The fact that it was homemade with love will make it all the more special (and delicious)!
14. Spread Gratitude
You‚ve got
a lot to be grateful for this season, but have you said it out loud? Next time you‚re reflecting on how grateful you are for those special people in your life, be sure to go ahead and tell them. Simply expressing
gratitude ‚ by showing others how much they mean to you ‚ can go a long way!
Let us know how you‚re Paying it Forward this World Kindness Day by tagging us on social @VibrantHealth
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