You may be aware that 17th February marks the annual Random Acts of Kindness Day, with Random Acts of Kindness Week spanning 12th-18th February (#RAKWEEK2017). This, coupled with our Random Acts of Kindness themed week here at Her Campus Durham has got me thinking about the benefits of random acts of kindness.
With the hectic pace of university life, the positive effect that a small act of kindness may have one someone’s day can often be overlooked. An act that may take just a couple of minutes out of your busy study schedule could make a huge difference to someone else’s mindset that day-after all, you never know what somebody may be struggling with even despite an often calm and composed exterior.
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is a non-profit organisation that believes in spreading kindness throughout schools, communities and homes. Their website features inspiring stories of people that have gone above and beyond to spread the positive message of the organisation, including a high school teacher Carrie Wisehart who gave each of her students $1 and encouraged them to use it to make a difference, be it through donating to charity, buying a drink for a stranger or treating a friend. One girl even bought a teddy bear and, along with her father, visited a stranger who had been in hospital for a long period of time, talking with him and encouraging him with regards to his recovery. It is so inspiring to see both the influence this teacher had on her students, demonstrating the fact that kindness is contagious, and the ease with which even a token gesture can be used to benefit others. You can check out the work of RAK and change your Facebook profile picture and cover photo to inspire your friends to get involved with Random Acts of Kindness Week here: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/
Here are a few ideas of simple random acts of kindness to get you started:
- Write a thank you note to someone who deserves more appreciation. The help and dedication of those around us can often be overlooked, so why not surprise someone? Ideas include your parents, best friend or even college staff.
- SMILE. As I mentioned above, it is impossible to know the personal difficulties than any one of us may be facing at university, so it goes without saying that simple smile may brighten someone’s day. Also, it’s a well-known fact that smiling burns more calories than frowning so get your grin on!
- Practise self-care. Be sure to take good care of yourself too! Why not give mindfulness a go? I recommend Ruby Wax’s latest self-help book ‘A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled’ to get you started. The much-loved comedian, actor, writer and avid mental-health campaigner is also coming to our very own Gala Theatre this March.
- Spread the coffee love. Buy a coffee for the person behind you in line. A caffeine-infused gift is the best kind of gift in my humble opinion.
- Volunteer. Durham has an endless possibility of opportunities to get involved with volunteering. Even an hour a week of your time could benefit a member of the local community, be it tutoring a GCSE student through Student Community Action, helping at FoodCycle Durham, an organisation that uses food that large retailers and local cafés would otherwise throw away to provide a meal for those in need, or donating to Durham Foodbank.
- Post a handwritten letter. Send a quick note to your long-distance bestie to let her know you’re thinking of her. Although the art of letter-writing is quickly becoming obsolete in our ever-developing world, take the time to add a more personal touch than a simple Facebook message.
- Create a gratitude journal. This one is pretty clear really-every time you receive a compliment, a kind message or see an inspirational quote, write it down in a dedicated journal. This subconsciously makes you more appreciative of the little things in life and is perfect to flick through on a down day. I choose to do this slightly differently, taking the time at the end of every day to write down three good things that happened that day.
‘Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around’ – Leo Buscaglia