Health Benefits
Random acts of kindness can benefit both the person giving and the recipient. These acts help to improve mental and physical health, increase happiness and satisfaction, and strengthen social connections and relationships.
For the person performing the act, research has shown that engaging in acts of kindness can increase self-esteem, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve overall well-being. These acts can also provide a sense of purpose and meaning and help build a positive identity.
For the recipient, receiving acts of kindness can improve their mood, increase feelings of social connectedness, and help to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Overall, engaging in random acts of kindness can be a simple yet powerful way to improve the well-being of both oneself and others.
A small act of kindness the whole year round
One morning, I was off out when I noticed something sitting on my stone wall. It was a smooth, quite large pebble, painted in cheerful colours, and written on it was – Smile; it’s a beautiful day. It made me stop and appreciate what a nice thing to do. It certainly did make me smile nearly all that day. So, after a few days, I left it on someone else’s wall and hoped it would make them smile. Painting pebbles would be a great hobby to take up. You would then be able to spread some joy by leaving them for people to find.
The next time you bake some cupcakes or cookies, package up a couple and leave them anonymously on a neighbour’s doorstep.
Anonymously, leave a box of biscuits at work in the staff room.
Put a bar of chocolate on a work colleague’s desk. Watch their surprise.
Leave some of your garden surpluses on a neighbour’s doorstep.
When a neighbour is ill, offer to take their dog for a walk or make chicken soup for them.
The list is quite endless, limited only by your imagination. They don’t have to cost much, and some acts of kindness can be free.
For instance, a Dairy Milk bar costs about 70p. However, artisan chocolate made in Wales is about £4.00 a bar for something more luxurious and handmade. Below I have listed half a dozen, but there are several more companies producing excellent artisan chocolate.
The Little Walsh Chocolate Company
___________
