- Write a positive and personal letter to a friend, family member, client, or colleague. Maybe you could remind them of a happy memory you shared or give them words of encouragement. Let them know that they are important to you and you value their presence in your life.
- Make a meal for someone who is stressed. Nothing says love like a hot meal. If you aren’t a chef like me, just ordering food from a local restaurant can be enough to help someone get through their day. If you can’t think of someone stressed (which would be shocking) consider buying a hot meal for a homeless person or donating food to a homeless shelter.
- Leave a large tip for no reason. I understand this isn’t something we all have the financial ability to do, but if you have the means, this is a great way to show someone you care. Even if the service you received wasn’t stellar, you never know what someone is going through. And let’s be honest - a lot of servers just spent a lot of time out of work. The extra money could really turn their week around!
- Leave a handwritten thank-you note for the office cleaning staff. Not everyone has this luxury, but if you do, let them know their work is appreciated. Especially with a pandemic going on, their services are more important than ever during this time.
- Visit a charity’s Amazon Smile. Amazon has a wonderful feature that allows charities to let people know what they’re most in need of. Of course, not every charity has this but you are able to search by organization type or based on location to find charities that you would like to give to.
- Buy coffee for the office. We could all use a little pick-me-up and coffee is a sure way to do that. Just be sure everything is kept sanitary.
- Send flowers. This could be a great thing to do for a friend, family member, client, or colleague that could be feeling a little down. Most flower shops are delivering during this time and can send a beautiful bouquet right to someone’s doorstep. It’s a lovely surprise and one that will surely brighten someone’s day.
When was the last time you were the victim of a random act of kindness? How did it make you feel? Growing up, my mom always told me to “kill them with kindness” and it wasn’t until I got older that I really understood what that meant. This year has been really hard for a lot of us. Mentally, physically, financially, you name it. However, this is no time to despair. We all have the opportunity to make the world a better place. And though I’m no expert, I think one of the best ways to do this is to kill the bad in our world with kindness. That being said, I compiled a brief list based on my own “techniques” and other sources to inspire you to perform some random acts of kindness. These could be perfect if applied to your friends, family, coworkers, or in some cases, even your clients!