All posts tagged: random acts of kindness

Happy International Day of Friendship!

Today is the UN’s International Day of Friendship. It’s annually held on 30 July to celebrate friendships worldwide. To mark the day, the UN encourages governments, organisations, and community groups to hold events, activities and initiatives that promote solidarity, mutual respect and reconciliation. But you too can get involved and spread the message of friendship without any prior planning! Remember friendship enriches our lives by increasing our sense of belonging and purpose, boosts our happiness and self-esteem, and is a proven antidote to depression. What other reason do you need to show your gratitude for friendship today? Here are our top 10 ideas: Write a “just because” card or letter and post it to a friend Plan a future date night Make a friend a playlist of your favourite songs and shared memories, then send them the link Pick up the phone and call an old friend – we all too heavily rely on whatsapp and texts nowadays, but there’s something so much more satisfying (and human) about actually hearing their voice Even better, go knock on their door unannounced and …

Deliberately Cultivate Gratitude

At work yesterday a colleague bought 19 members of our team a full size Easter egg. She crept in early and left one on each of our desks for a delicious surprise. The majority of us were overwhelmed by her kindness and ran straight to show our appreciation, but a select few said or did nothing. I watched in amazement as they simply glanced at the egg (as if it was expected!) and carried on with their morning routine. Zero appreciation, zero thanks. Shocked by their lack of gratitude, I decided to dedicate this post to them and the benefits of deliberately cultivating gratitude. It’s a no brainer that gratitude helps reduce negative emotions. By focusing on all that is right (instead of all that is wrong), we can learn to fully appreciate how lucky we are and start to notice the small things we so easily take for granted. A warm and cosy home, a stable job, a hug at the end of a stressful day, good health! Practising gratitude can also help us be more resilient in the …

25 reasons it’s better to give than receive

During this over-indulgent, opulent time of year it’s important we take stock and remind ourselves that Christmas isn’t all about the parties and presents, but the season of good will and peace to all men! So if you were ever in doubt, the Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar is here to prove that giving is far more satisfying than receiving. Subscribe to their mailing list and receive 25 daily acts of kindness sent straight to your inbox. A different challenge is set each day – phone an old friend, leave a kind note, give to the needy – in the hope that we can re-educate ourselves and really feel the positive difference going out of our way to be more giving can make. Sign up now and see how many random acts of kindness you can carry out this Christmas. Sign up here.