One of the most rewarding feelings is making someone else smile or knowing that you made a stranger’s day better. An even better feeling is when someone goes out of their way to make you feel important or appreciated. Below are seven simple ways to show people kindness and make the world a better place.
1. Wave, smile and say hello.
It may seem insignificant, but in our society, the majority of people walk down streets, sidewalks, or hallways without smiling or even making eye contact with others. Many times, people’s resting faces are grim, bored or a little bit intimidating. It has been scientifically proven that you can feel happier, reduce stress and build your immune system just by smiling. Be someone who goes the extra mile to smile. Even if you are not truly happy, smile anyway as you can trick your brain into thinking you are. Waving and saying hello to someone shows you acknowledge their presence and care about speaking to them. Though it seems small, smiling, waving and saying hello can truly brighten someone’s day.
2. Hold open a door.
Not only is it just polite and helpful to hold a door open for someone, but it is also kind. It shows that you care to make their day more manageable and you do not mind letting them go ahead of you. Again, this act of kindness is not difficult or time-consuming. It takes a few extra seconds of waiting to hold a door open for someone.
3. Practice polite driving etiquette.
No one likes when someone cuts them off on a highway, speeds through a stoplight or honks at them. It is rare to encounter many polite drivers on the road, so choose to be one. This could entail letting someone change lanes in front of you, not following the car in front of you so closely, giving way when merging or waving and saying thank you when someone shows you proper driving etiquette.
4. Do a friend a favor.
This act could mean a variety of things: doing someone’s laundry, running to the store to grab dinner, lending someone money, sending them class notes they missed and so much more. Doing a friend a favor is guaranteed to make their day better, but it is even more helpful when they do not also have to ask you. If you can tell that your friend is stressed out or way too busy, ask if there is something you can do for them. It can never hurt to be kind or help someone else, so put others first and show that you care about them.
5. Pay for someone’s coffee behind you in line.
This is something my mom taught me that I love. Next time you’re in a drive-thru line for coffee, pay for the person’s order behind you— even if you don’t know them. I promise that they will be surprised and happy at this act of kindness. The first time someone did this for me, I almost teared up with happiness because I thought it was so kind. For the rest of the day, I repeatedly thought about the kindness that was shown to me, and I kept smiling. Kindness is infectious, so when someone shows you affection, pass it on because it will continue to spread.
6. Leave someone a note.
This could be leaving a post-it note on someone’s car, a note in a library book or writing your friend a letter, but whatever it may be, handwritten notes show that you care. It’s easy to go through your daily routine without thinking of other people and getting caught up in your tasks. Make the extra effort to show someone that you care — people will always notice and be grateful.
7. Tell people “thank you” and “I love you.”
Lastly, this one seems obvious, but let people know that you love and appreciate them. Making someone feel loved is one of the best ways to make their day better. Even if it’s a family member or close friend who probably knows that you love them, it never hurts to tell them again. Saying thank you shows that you took time to notice something someone did for you and are grateful for them. None of these seven acts of kindness are challenging or grandiose, but the smallest actions can have the most significant effects. Choose kindness every day and make the world a happier place.