“An apple a day keeps the doctors away” is a well-known saying that emphasizes the importance of a healthy diet for the body but what about a healthy diet for the mind? It’s easy to neglect the needs of others around us when we are so busy and caught up with our own lives.
Now that midterms week is over, we have more time to devote to not only our loved ones but strangers as well. Woah, strangers danger, right? Or what do I get in return? Well, what if it doesn’t have to be that way anymore? What if we could change the way that we view the world with our actions? You may be slightly confused right now but keep reading. It gets good or at least decent.
November 13. Does that date ring a bell-like December 25th or October 31st? Probably not. But after reading this blog post, I hope it will from now on. DRUM ROLL PLEASE. November 13 is World Kindness Day! World Kindness Day is celebrated in countries around the world like Canada, Japan, and the UK where kindness instead of presents or costumes is the main focus of the day. The day was founded by the World Kindness Movement in 1998 with the goal of making the world a better and a kinder place.
“Making the world a better place” seems like a buzz phrase these days because there’s a misconception of it being such an intangible and a daunting task. This does not mean you are responsible for ending world hunger or finding the answer to climate change.
Here is a list of reasons why you might want to take part in a random act of kindness today:
- Kindness is linked to many positive emotions felt not only by the person who is receiving the kindness but you as well! A win-win situation!
- An act of kindness does not have to be a big, grand gesture but rather it could be as simple as asking someone how they are doing or even a genuine compliment will do.
- Kindness is similar to a drop in the ocean — it tends to have a ripple effect on the others around you. This means that you do something kind to someone, the act spreads through the other person and can promote them to do something kind for people in their life as well.
All this to say that make today, November 13th, a special day where you do something thoughtful and kind to the people around you!
References:
Jasielska, D. (2018). The moderating role of kindness on the relation between trust and happiness. Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-9886-7
Written by Amy Lee
