There seems to be a lot of negativity lately, what can you do to bring some positivity? A simple way you can bring some positivity is through a random act of kindness. It doesn’t have to be big, we’ll give you really easy ways you can brighten someone’s day. If there is someone grumpy, they could just be having a bad day. Random acts of kindness have the ability to turn someone’s day around. Try one of these kind gestures today to bring a smile to someone’s face.
1. Give clothes to a non-profit
Not everyone can afford professional clothes for job interviews, so you can donate your nice clothes that don’t fit anymore or that you never wear anyways. You can donate it to a local non-profit in your community. I’d recommend Dress For Success, a not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network, training, and professional clothes to help women thrive in work and life.
2. Help someone with their groceries
See someone struggling to carry their groceries? Lend them a hand.
3. Give a compliment
Complimenting a friend or stranger can bring a smile to their face. Remember when you weren’t so sure about your new haircut, but then someone complimented your hair and it changed how you felt? Share the love and compliment someone else.
4. Send someone flowers for no reason
5. Bring toys to a homeless shelter
Birthdays and holidays are usually a happy time for kids, but it can be a sad time for kids who don’t have a home. You can help by giving gently used or new toys to your local shelter. The toys your kids have gotten bored of could bring joy to another child.
6. Volunteer at a retirement home
Bake some fresh cookies at home and give them to someone. If you are short on time, buy some from the store and wrap them in ribbon and tie a cute bow.
8. Leave a kind note on someone’s car
9. Give your favorite book away
You could gift your favorite book to a friend or surprise someone by putting it in one of those little free libraries. If you’re not familiar with them, they look like birdhouses except they’re for books. For more information and where to find a little free library near you, search here.
10. Write a love note
Remind your partner how much you love them by hiding a love note somewhere that they can find as they go about their day.
11. Pick up litter at a park
To clean up your local park, empty out a paper or plastic grocery bag and fill it up with the littler you picked up. Bring a pair of latex, rubber, or plastic gloves to keep clean and safe.
12. Let someone cut you in the line
Notice someone behind you in a hurry? Be kind and let them cut you if you’re not in a rush.
13. Buy the person behind you coffee
It’s often called “paying it forward” when you pay for a stranger’s coffee. It’s a great way to brighten up someone’s grumpy morning commute. Hopefully, the spirit of kindness will be infectious and they’ll continue the trend.
14. Volunteer your time
Pick an awesome non-profit organization that you support and volunteer your time. If you don’t know where to volunteer, you can search for local volunteer opportunities near you on VolunteerMatch.org. You can even filter based on your interests. There are 30+ categories like education, health, children, and human rights.
15. Donate to a friend’s charity
It’s common now for friends to ask people to donate to their favorite charity on Facebook instead of a giving a birthday gift. Help out a friend and a great cause by clicking the “donate” button.
16. Do someone’s dishes
Did someone else cook for you? A great way to return the kind gesture is to wash the dishes after the meal.
17. Feed someone’s parking meter
18. Take a new friend to lunch
19. Express gratitude to a server
People in the service industry have good attitudes no matter what they are going through. That means even on their bad days they have to throw on a smile. You can make their day better by simply showing gratitude and tell them you appreciate them and that they’re doing a great job.
20. Run errands with a friend
Errands can be a drag, but picking up groceries can turn into a fun and unexpected fashion show at Target when a friend comes along.
21. Give your seat up
Whether it’s public transportation or a concert, offer your seat to someone as a kind gesture.
22. Offer to take a photo
See a group or cute couple struggling with their selfie? Offer to take their photo for them. It’ll only take 3 seconds of your day, but it’ll save them 3 minutes retaking it.
23. Compliment a parent
We’ve all either experienced or seen parents with the screaming toddler, but they are trying their best. Parents get a lot of negative vibes about their kids, why not send some positive vibes? When you get a chance, compliment parents about how well behaved or polite their kids are. They’ll appreciate it.
24. Buy school supplies for a teacher
25. Donate towels or blankets to the animal shelter
26. Be welcoming to a neighbor or new student
28. Do the task your partner hates doing
Whether it’s laundry, dishes, or taking out the trash, you can do a chore your partner hates to show how much you appreciate them.
29. Make and send a handmade card
30. Buy Local from a Small Business
Amazon is so quick and convenient but supporting local businesses helps families. Buy your next gift locally where you can meet who owns the shop. The difference is you’ll get a smile along with your receipt.
31. Tell a friend you appreciate them
We think that it goes without saying, but actually telling your friend, “I appreciate you,” can mean a lot to them.
32. Send a postcard
This is a fun and cheap way to bring joy to someone’s day. Whether you send it from your hometown or where you’re vacationing, it typically costs only $1 for a postcard. Personalize it with a cute note and ship it out at the nearest post shop.
33. Handwrite a letter to a friend
34. Donate books to your local library
Did you know most libraries accept like-new or gently used book donations to stock library shelves or to resell at fundraising events? It’s a great way to declutter while supporting your public library. Check your local library’s website or call for more details.
35. Let someone into your lane
36. Gift someone a reusable water bottle
Do you know someone who doesn’t drink enough water or uses single-use plastic water bottles? You can help someone out while also helping the environment by giving them a reusable water bottle. To ensure they use it, find one with a cute design.
37. Gift a souvenir
38. Send a thank-you note
Send a short and simple thank you note to a mentor, family member, friend, or someone in your community you admire.
39. Donate the $1 at checkout
40. Start a community garden
A community garden is a great way to help in multiple ways. You’re helping the community by making it more beautiful while also helping others come together.
41. Make someone laugh
42. Call your mom
43. Adopt an animal
This is one of the bigger acts of kindness, but if you have the time and space to commit, it’s one of the most adorable and rewarding ones.
44. Help someone try something new
Remember the last time you tried something new? Awkwardly fumbling through and hoping no one was watching. We’ve all been there before, so the next time you see someone struggling, offer to help them out.
45. Put your phone away with family or friends
We rarely put down our phones nowadays, but it can make all the difference of feeling listened to. You can try it yourself or include friends by trying the Phone Dinner Challange. Put all of your phones stacked face down in the center of the table, the first person to picks it up pays for the whole dinner. Just make sure you don’t grab your phone without thinking. Yikes!
46. Make breakfast in bed
Breakfast in bed is so simple, but it can mean the world to someone who is going through a rough patch. Make your partner, friend, or mom breakfast in bed to show how much you love and appreciate them.
47. Mentor someone
Offer to mentor someone who is younger or inexperienced at something you’re great at. It could be career coaching, navigating life, or something simple like a hobby.
48. Make dinner for a family in need
49. Plant a tree
50. Give someone a hug
Last but not least, give someone a hug today.
Remember that giving joy comes from simple acts. Challenge yourself to complete 10 random acts of kindness from this list. To make it more fun, challenge a friend to do it with you.
