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Small gestures are the easiest way to brighten up someone’s day. Simple acts of kindness even have a whole week devoted to them in February.
I think most of us get caught up in our own lives and the daily hustle and bustle of our lives and we end up forgetting to be kind to one another.
A smile, a compliment, paying for a meal, it can be really easy to make someone’s day.
Throughout the year, I am looking for easy ways to show Random Acts of Kindness that cost me nothing but make someone else happy.
1. Give an unexpected compliment to a random stranger
2. Let someone cut in front of you in line, especially if you notice they’re in a rush.
3. Slow down so someone can merge in front of you in traffic.
4. Give someone your seat on a crowded bus.
5. Buy a warm meal for someone in need, it costs so little but makes such a huge difference to someone’s day.
6. Help someone struggling to carry their grocery bags.
7. Say something encouraging to a parent who’s struggling with their kids in a restaurant or grocery store. They feel judged by everyone at that moment. So throw them a lifeline.
8. Donate flowers to a nursing home, and sit and talk to them for a few hours too.
9. Hand out disposable water bottles to people working outside on a hot day.
10. Leave a coupon next to that item in the grocery store.
11. Pass along a compliment to a service worker’s boss, let them know how good of a job they did.
12. Take the time to write a great online review for a restaurant you love, especially small businesses.
13. Learn CPR. You never know when it’ll come in handy.
14. Give an extra tip and write an encouraging note along with it, maybe they’ve had a hard day.
15. Buy lemonade from a child’s lemonade stand. Support small businesses.
16. Visit a nursing home, sit with them and listen. Just listen.
17. Talk to a stranger at a party who looks like they don’t know anyone, and help them get out of their shell.
18. Smile at someone who looks sad.
19. Leave money on a vending machine for someone else.
20. Bake cookies for the elderly and bring them to a nursing home
21. Pay for someone’s groceries at the store.
22. Do a 10k for a good cause. You’ll burn some calories in the process.
23. Cook dinner for a friend you haven’t seen in a while.
24. Donate old toys to an orphanage.
25. Hold the door open for people
26. Donate your old clothes to charity.
27. Do someone a favor without expecting anything in return.
28. Buy an ice cream cone for a kid.
29. Spend the day at a homeless shelter and help out.
30. Bring donuts into your workplace or classroom
31. Water a neighbor’s flowers.
32. Leave a waiter a generous tip to be nice.
33. Do one of your sibling’s chores.
34. Help someone with a flat tire.
35. Mow your neighbor’s lawn. Or rake up their fallen leaves.
36. Pay for someone’s coffee
37. Pay for someone’s cab or bus fare.
38. Make coffee or tea for your entire family.
39. Donate your hair after the big chop.
40. Volunteer at a homeless shelter during the holidays. Pay for someone’s groceries at the store.
41. Donate blood. Just one donation can save three lives.
42. Sign up to give bone marrow.
43. Sign up to be an organ donor.
44. Donate your old and used books to a local library.
45. Make a double batch of the cookies you’re baking and take some to your neighbor’s.
46. Offer to babysit a neighbor’s child for free.
47. Call your mom or dad just to say I love you.
48. Send a message to a friend, letting them know you appreciate them.
49. Reconnect with an old friend you’ve lost touch with over the years. Share a memory you carry with you.
50. Donate to a friend’s favorite charity in their name.
51. Give a friend a book you think they would like.
52. Send a friend a helpful or inspiring article that made you think of them.
53. Figure out a friend or family member’s half birthday (six months from their full birthday) and surprise them with a little treat on that day.
54. Send a letter to a grandparent
55. Send flowers to a friend.
56. Offer to pick up some groceries for your elderly neighbor.
57. Walk your friend’s dog.
58. Tell your family members how much you love and appreciate them.
59. Help a friend get active.
60. Host an informal get-together and invite your neighbors to get to know each other.
61. Tell someone you know that you are proud of them
62. Make and send a care package to someone who needs it.
63. Make a cup of tea for your colleagues.
64. Say good morning to everyone you pass that morning
65. Give up your seat to an elderly, disabled, or pregnant person.
66. Take a minute to help someone who is lost.
67. Help a mother carry her pushchair down the stairs or hold the door for her.
68. Smile and say hello to people you may pass every day, but have never spoken to before.
69. Return a lost item to its owner.
70. Engage in conversation with a shop assistant when paying at the register.
71. Contact someone you haven’t seen in a while and arrange to meet face to face.
72. Send an inspirational quote to a friend.
73. Send a friend a cute picture of an animal.
74. Send someone you know a joke to cheer them up.
75. Send a motivational text to a friend who is struggling.
76. Offer a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on to someone who is going through a tough time
77. Leave a note or small gift for a loved one to find.
78. Offer to run an errand for someone who is busy or unable to leave their home.
79. Offer to help someone with a task they are struggling with.
80. Leave a small gift or note for your neighbor.
81. Buy a toy, book, or clothes for a child in need.
82. Offer to drive someone who doesn’t have a car to a doctor’s appointment or another important appointment.
83. Leave a kind note on a co-worker’s desk to cheer them up.
84. Leave a kind note in a library book for the next reader to find.
85. Offer to drive someone to the airport, everyone always needs a ride to the airport.
86. Donate toys or games to a children’s hospital to cheer them up.
87. Pay for someone’s parking meter.
88. Offer to help someone with their homework.
89. Donate to a food bank or pantry.
90. Leave a kind note in a public bathroom for others to find.
91. Buy a warm meal for an elderly person in your neighborhood who lives alone.
92. Offer to help someone with their shopping or errands.
93. Buy a gift card at your favorite cafe and give it to the barista there. (They can use it or pass it on to the next customer)
94. Offer to help someone with their laundry, or pay for someone’s laundry at a laundry mat.
95. Donate some books and supplies to a school.
96. Pay it forward. If someone does something kind for you, consider doing something kind for someone else in return.
97. Spread positivity. Share uplifting or inspiring content on social media, or just be a positive presence in the lives of those around you.
98. Write a thank-you note. A handwritten note can be a thoughtful and personal way to show appreciation.
99. Give a hug to a stranger who seems to be having a hard day. Physical touch can be a powerful way to show affection and support.
100. Treat yourself to an at-home spa day. We have to be kind to ourselves too.
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