Time to be Kind

Take Time to Be Kind!

Do you have a minute? Or five? Or even 30? What about a rare open afternoon? An act of kindness doesn’t need to take a lot of time. Do you remember that time a stranger gave you a warm smile? Or when a co-worker on the elevator paid you a compliment? What about how warm it feels to receive a handwritten note from a friend? Here are some ideas for small kindnesses that you can fit into your busy days. We promise!

With just five minutes, you can:

• Write a note of appreciation, support, or condolence to a friend or acquaintance

• Write a note or send a text to a good friend telling them how much their friendship means to you

• Write a letter of thanks and encouragement to a service person

• Put a treat outside for the mail carrier, sanitation team or delivery person

• Let someone know why you are thankful for them

• Send a motivational text or inspiring quotation to a friend who is struggling

• Send a joke or picture of a cute animal to someone to make them laugh

• Send an interesting article to someone to let them know you are thinking of them

• Order something off of an Amazon Wish List for an animal shelter or other charity

• Make an online donation on donorschoose.org

• Put out and bring back your neighbor’s bins on trash collection day

• Cut fresh flowers from your yard to give away

• Offer to collect mail for a traveling neighbor

• Offer to lend someone your favorite book

• Challenge yourself to write only positive comments online

• Share an uplifting song on social media

• Share your favorite recipe

• Write a Google review for a favorite charity or local business, or like & share their social media pages  

• Look in the mirror and say three positive things about yourself

• Share a favorite memory with a loved one

• When speaking with someone who has hearing loss, remember to speak directly, clearly and loudly enough for them to participate in a conversation

With 15 minutes to spare, you can:  

• Call someone who is elderly or dealing with health issues

• When in a conversation with others, listen actively and with empathy

• Send someone flowers out of the blue

• Write a letter to a grandparent

• Visit the nearest little library and donate a book

• Go through stuff, place it in a bag for donation, and schedule a charity pickup

• Donate old towels to an animal shelter

If you find yourself with 30 minutes:

• Take a walk in your neighborhood or a park and pick up trash

• Offer to pick up a friend or family member from work

• Walk a neighbor’s dog for them

How about an hour?

• Make baked goods to give away - to a neighbor, fire or police station, or staff at your neighborhood school

• Make a care package to send to someone who needs it

• Plant flowers, mow, rake leaves, pull weeds or spread mulch in the yard of a neighbor in need

• Invite a neighbor over for coffee

• Play a game with a child in your life

• Play cards or do a jigsaw puzzle with an elderly person

• Celebrate someone you love

If you have that rare open morning or afternoon, you can:

• Make a meal for someone with a new baby, an elderly neighbor, or someone recuperating from illness or surgery

• Host a get-together with your neighbors

• Organize a community cleanup