Eighteen Easy Ways To Be Kind

Kindness - it's in you to share and research is proving why a liberal sprinkling of kindness is not only good for those who are on receiving end, but is also good for you.

I tuned in on Anderson Live at just the right time last week. Here, psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman and Goldie Hawn explain how kindness affects the brain.

Under stress or duress, kindness often evaporates. The pressure squeezes and reshapes the person that you are, so that you become unrecognizable to yourself and others. This ability to portray another person is much admired on the stage, but in real life - not so much.

The great news is that you can rewrite the script by simply using the power of the heart. A daily, mindful practice produces profound changes. When you understand how powerful an act of kindness is and how it affects not only your brain, but your heart, you will feel compelled to go back for more helpings.

Here is a short list to get you started:

  1. Notify the website owner if you notice that something isn't working on their website.
  2. Stopped at an intersection? Safely move over to the left just enough to allow the car behind you to make a right turn.
  3. Hold the door open for someone.
  4. Scrape off your neighbours windshield in the morning.
  5. Done with your magazine? Share it with your someone else.
  6. If you notice a tripping hazard, such as a curled over mat, straighten it out.
  7. Inform the management if you see an area where safety or accessibility improvements could be made.
  8. Write a thank you note.
  9. Did the letter carrier accidentally place your neighbours' mail in your letter box? Take it to them, rather than returning it to the post office.
  10. Let someone know if you heard a good thing about them.
  11. Call a friend just because.
  12. Clean up after yourself at work - wash your own dishes and put them away.
  13. If you're able to, offer your seat on the bus to someone who looks like they need it.
  14. When you're on your cell phone, leave the room or speak quietly.
  15. If someone behind you in the line-up only has one item and you have a full cart, let them go ahead.
  16. When someone drops something, help them pick it up.
  17. When visiting with a friend, be fully present. Turn your phone off or to vibrate and let the answering machine get it.
  18. Transform your stress.
To learn more about stress and how to transform it, please contact me. Please tell me how you sprinkle your day with kindness.

2 Replies to “Eighteen Easy Ways To Be Kind”

  1. Hello Marianna,

    Thank you for pointing me to your post via your comments at my post, “50 Ways To Kindness At Work” – http://jackieyun.com/2013/09/30/50-ways-to-kindness-at-work/

    Love how your post shows that kindness doesn’t need to be time consuming or a big production; encouraging us to do small acts of kindness daily, which can be so beneficial for the recipient and for the giver, too. Amazing that there are positive physical impacts to the giver’s brain per the Anderson Cooper video clip.

    This all seems to tie in with a quote from the Dalai Lama: “There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”

    Take care,
    Jackie Yun

    1. Jackie,
      Thank you for your insightful and kindness-propelling comments, both here and on your own post.

      I love that quote from the Dalai Lama – it speaks to the power that we have within to effect change.

      Warmly,
      Marianna

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