20 minutes
World Kindness Day first began as a day of observation by the World Kindness Movement. On this day, the Movement stated their pledge to join together to build a kinder and more compassionate world. It soon attracted several humanitarian groups on November 13, 1997, and they made a Declaration of Kindness.
From that day onwards, World Kindness Day continues to be celebrated on November 13. While the day has caught on in many countries, it still has not been recognized by the United Nations.
Nevertheless, being kind is still a fundamental trait to have and practice in this world. An act of kindness can help bridge the divides and differences caused by race, religion, politics, gender and even social classes. It’s a day where everyone is encouraged to overlook boundaries and to come together in support of one another.
In the current and tumultuous time, kindness is more important than ever.
To celebrate World Kindness Day, there’s no need for a big fanfare. All you need to do is to perform random acts of kindness to help or brighten someone else’s day. Here’s a list of ways you can help spread kindness in the community.
Give compliments
A quick way to brighten someone’s day is to compliment them. Whether it’s the way they dress or something they have done, a sincere compliment puts a spring in their step. For all you know, a nice compliment might just be the one thing they need to push through tough times.
Give out hugs
Hugging has been proven to increase levels of happy hormones (dopamine and serotonin) in the body. If you see a family member looking down in the dumps, offering a long and meaningful hug shows your care for them. Even if it’s for a short while, hugging can act as a temporary measure to alleviate the stress.
Send an uplifting text
With everyone connected via smartphones, everyone can quickly keep in touch with loved ones even if they’re far away. If you can’t meet up for a chat or a hug, you can send off an uplifting text to show that you’re thinking about them, how much they mean to you or just to show support in whatever they do.
Give someone a treat
There are plenty of ways to spread kindness and one way is to give someone a treat. Other than treating someone you know to a meal or a drink, you can surprise strangers such as children in the orphanage or the elderly in the old folks’ home by treating them to a good meal or just simply by spending time with them. You don’t even need to go far to treat others to something special too. It all starts from close to the home such as giving the security guards guarding the neighbourhood refreshing drinks on a hot day.
Holding any door
Holding the door is not only for gentlemen. Whichever gender you identify with, holding the door for someone is just good manners and a simple act of kindness. When you’re inside the elevator and you see someone running for it or juggling multiple items in their arms, hold the door open for them. Helping one another is an important thing to do to build a friendly, caring and kind community.
This article is published on theSun iPaper HERE
