Each year on the 17th February, the world celebrates Random Acts of Kindness Day and if you’re anything like us, you could probably use a little bit more of this in your daily life. So, in a bid to turn up the happiness metre in your life and the lives of everyone around you, we’ve rounded up a few of the easiest ways you can incorporate random acts of kindness into your daily routine. Big or small. It all counts.
1. Pick up trash you see on the street
To show a little bit of love to the environment, a simple random act of kindness is to pick up any rubbish you see floating around on the streets. If you live in a big city, it’s probably unreasonable to pick up every single piece of rubbish you see on your daily travels, so set yourself a goal and stick to it (five pieces is a good place to start). Bonus points if you head to your local beach and pick up any trash you see on the sand while you’re there.
2. Buy a stranger their morning coffee
This one sounds obvious and, in fact, it’s one of the most common random acts of kindness people think of at this time of year. There’s a reason for that—being on the receiving end of a deliciously free coffee on your morning commute is a day-changer for many, us included.
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The key to pulling this one off is to do it without any fanfare, so instead of having an awkward conversation with a stranger and insisting to pay their bill, just subtly tell your local barista that you’ll be paying for an extra beverage for the next person in line.
Image source:Nathan Dumlao
3. Hold the door open for someone
This one’s pretty simple and won’t cost you a dime—just the few extra seconds it’ll take to hold a door open for a stranger, your colleague or loved one. We don’t expect you to run around to the other side of the car and open your passenger’s door with a flourish and a bow unless you really, really want to. But next time you’re standing in an elevator and see someone running towards you, toss your arm out and stop the doors before they close.
4. Take baked treats into the office for your colleagues
You can take this one as far as you’d like, or not. Go all out with a freshly baked cake or pick up a packet of biscuits on the way into work—either way, popping treats in the office kitchen for everyone to enjoy will not only make you the most popular person in the office for the day, it’ll give you a serious case of the warm and fuzzies.
5. Donate your morning coffee to charity
I know I’ve already suggested a coffee-themed act of kindness but guys, I really, really love coffee so it only seems right. For one day, week or month (depending on your level of generosity) forego your fresh barista-made coffee and donate the cost to a charity instead. And if you just can’t give up your morning cup of Joe for even one day, why not donate to a worthy cause and celebrate by treating yourself as well?
