Tag: #kindness

Make kindness a part of your daily ritual

November, 13th is World Kindness day. It is the one day of the year where individuals or groups consciously decide to go out of their way to be kind to another or perform acts of kindness. It might be an act of kindness at home, work, school or any public place. The show of pledges involves doing at least one selfless good deed to another person(s).

“A World without kindness is a world without love.”

Word Kindness day is an excellent start to becoming a part of our community. However, I’d say why stop there? Why not make kindness a part of your daily ritual?

 The acts of kindness benefit us all, and it makes the world a better place to live in. When we perform an act of kindness for another, we should not expect anything in return. I am referring to doing kind acts for someone without expecting reciprocal service or returning a favour. The truest act of kindness comes without any conditions. It is simply an act of kindness that benefits another person without any underlying need for payback.

However, the psychological consequence of an act of kindness does have an unwitting benefit to the individual carrying out the kindness. It can help boost our moods, increase feelings of confidence, increase the level of satisfaction or happiness in being a part of something or the world, and helping, generally, bring us joy. Moreover, the Law of Attraction governs that positive acts of service bring the same positive result back into our lives. Additionally, your good deeds may also encourage the individual to pay it forward and carry out the kindness act to another person and so forth.

There is also the science behind the act of kindness. Willing acts of kindness produces oxytocin which is the chemical that lowers our blood pressure, reduces anxieties, reduces our levels of stress and increases our moods and happiness, which benefits our mental health. But, it is so much more. Being kind and doing kind acts for another person help remind us that we are more than ourselves and that we are part of the community and the world. It gives a sense of belonging and being a valued contributor to the community and the world. Thus, it is an attribute to our inner purpose, meaning and values.

With all these positive reasons, what’s stopping you from starting your kindness acts today? But, if you want some ideas, here are some helpful kindness acts to help you get started.

Start with the little thing

The little things matter a lot. The little thing includes giving way, allowing another to pass on pavements or on the road, letting someone in front of you in a queue, offer your seats to strangers, etc. Lend a hand, help someone with a heavy shopping bag, offer to do something for someone random. Give someone your time, attention and focus. Pray for another, send them positive intentions, love and light.

Acts of kindness

 Behaving and acting kindly come in many varieties. Behaving kindly includes giving way to someone coming the opposite way on a path, giving up your seat on trains or buses, offering someone you know a lift home. Showing helpfulness in teamwork, adapting a helpful mental attitude to a work colleague, illustrating helpful aptitude in community work are also helpful behavioural traits.

Act of kindness includes purposeful and conscious actions. You would go out of your way to be kind to another. You might stop to help someone cross the road. You might travel to help a friend in need. You might reach out to a work colleague going through a difficult time etc.

Positive Intentions in action

Kindness comes with positive intentions. Positive intention is a planned intent that has a positive introspection. It is a conscious mental construct to be or do something kind to another. The most explicit intention of kindness is to help or be helpful to another. If you are kind to someone without having a positive intention, you might be prone to resentment, jealousy or envy. Check your intention. Are you acting kind because you genuinely want to help or because you felt that you had to, got to, must or should?

Be creative in helping and acting kind

 Helping and kindness come with rewards and self-improving moods. We can be creative in being kind without the other person knowing it. A kind act includes doing charity works or donations. In this way, we are acting kind, and we are not directly known. A kind act also includes cleaning up and clearing hazards. Picking a nail and keeping other road users safe is a kind act. Joining your local Wombles is an act of kindness in keeping your community clear and clean. Help elderly neighbours by doing their shopping, dropping off their groceries, or cooking them a meal. Help fellow mums at school and take their children to/from school, or offer to babysit. Offer your time and services in doing charity works is a kind act. Perhaps you can think of other creative ways to be kind.

Spread the love and kindness

 Acts of kindness include sending kind messages to a significant person or someone needing love and appreciation. This person might be a work colleague, a friend or a family member. Writing them handwritten note shows that the kind words and considerations had been carefully thought about with affection. Call a friend or family and tell them that you care and have no other agenda than to say that. Spreading love is a kindness of the heart.

Now that you have some idea of different acts of kindness, what are you waiting for? A kindness act begins with you, and the person pays it forward.

“Spreading kindness is like spreading the love.”

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Appreciate the littlest thing, makes the heart sing

It can be difficult to find motivation and inspiration at times. I have days when I lack the will to do. When feeling unmotivated and uninspired, we lack interest and enthusiasm in things, people and life. It can dampen our moods without a reason or motive. It comes with an unwillingness to do anything, accompanied by thoughts such as, “Don’t want to do anything”, or, “Don’t feel like doing anything”, or, “Cannot be bothered”.

Psychologically, what we think affects how we feel and act. What we feel affects our thoughts and what we do. What we do affect how we think and what we feel. We can easily be identified with our thoughts, our feelings and our behaviours. But, in reality, we are simultaneously influenced by all three elements, the body, feelings, and mind.

When one lacking motivation and loses interest, it may be because your aspirations and goals are lacking, too vague, too open or unachievable. When in this state, it can be a precursor to pessimism, leading to negative outlooks on life, people, and things. Negative views can eventually spiral into other issues and psychological disorders. Eventually, psychological conditions can lead to physical manifestation within the body somatically. It can be hard to believe for some people who cannot comprehend how something intangible can become symptomatic. Regardless of whether you believe it or not, your mental and psychological disorders are problematic and unhealthy which can lead to physical health problems.

To maintain a healthy lifestyle, we need to take care of the body, feelings and mind in a holistic concept. An inclusive perspective means leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle. We can begin instantly by appreciating the littlest things that bring us joy and happiness. When we can appreciate the simple things in the mundane, our hearts will sing.

When the heart sings, there is an immense joyous feeling. This feeling brings us closer to spirituality and enlightenment. It is a peaceful experience that comes with inner calmness and connectivity with something more than ourselves. The feelings are akin to moments of bliss and euphoria but without any interference or interventions of any substances.

Here are some helpful tips on how appreciating the little things can instantly lift your moods.

Find the little thing to appreciate is not something that can be rushed or obsessed over. It is not something that leads to compulsion. Stop what you are doing and let it go when you feel you are negatively reacting to the process.

  • Begin with the simple thing.

Begin with the simplest thing. This can simply be appreciating what you have or who you are with. Appreciate what we have is literally that. Start with things that are closest to you. For example, I appreciate the clothes on my back. Appreciate the clothes in my cupboard and the fact that I was able to afford the beautiful things that I have. In the process, you will need to be grounded and embodied in appreciative and thankful thoughts. It is an inner recognition that you want to elicit. Although you are using the external things or stimuli to stimulate.

It is a balance of appreciation and at the same time, know that you are not too attached or unhealthy attached to the items.

Deep appreciation is an inner thankful feeling in which you value its qualities and respect. In this example, you may value your clothes, but the symbolic nature of the process is what you want to tap into. You might appreciate your house and having a roof over your head. You might appreciate your job and be thankful to have employment. You might appreciate the food you are eating, your health, your abilities to learn and grow etc.

Have ago and think about what else you appreciate.

  • Begin with acts of kindness to the people closest to you

 The people closest to you mean individuals nearest to you, as this may not be your immediate family. The people we choose to have around us impact our being. You might have lots of family members but may not live close to them. You might live closer to friends and work colleagues. The people around us influence our lives. Begin by appreciating those around you, that includes your neighbours and the community in which you live. After all, a part of you knows why you have chosen to live where you are. Start appreciating those people that are closest to you.

For example, I am not necessarily a friend to the neighbours, but there is a silent appreciation. I am amiable and pleasant to have them as neighbours. I treat them as I would like to be treated. I am warm and friendly, even if I may not experience them the same way. Even if I experienced them with some hostility and challenges, I remained amiable and pleasant.

The Law of Attractions dictates that what we give out will be returned to us. If we display amiable, warm and friendly behaviours, these qualities will be payback. Act of kindness is easier than you think, and it should not be an effort or a chore. If you struggle with this, check your thoughts in the psyche, observe feelings in your heart, and notice what you believe. You may be unconsciously broadcasting negative messages, and the Law of Attraction will manifest what you hold true.

  • Appreciate nature

 Appreciate the outdoor and nature. Enjoy the freshness and colourful nature of the natural world and be one with nature. Nature therapy is healing and beneficial to our health and wellbeing. When I say being in nature, I mean in the woods, the field, the mountain, a lake or river etc. Nature consists of plants, animals, landscape and all the features that makeup from products of the Earth where life exists.

There are many positive benefits to the outdoor and nature. It gives us the opportunity to connect with our environment and realise that we are supported and provided for. Nature support life, and we are a part of something more than ourselves.

In the awareness of being more than ourselves, we will come to have admiration for the beauty of our world. We can develop respect and cherish the cycle of life in nature and in ourselves. As you cherish the beauty of the outer world, you will begin to feel love for yourself.

But, you will need to really be grounded and be embodied as you experience your environment. You will need to immerse yourself in your surroundings. Take in the beauty of your nearby places and find what is wonderful. It might be the soft, mushy ground that you’re walking on. It might be the feel of the grass beneath your hands or feet. It might be the rough contour of the tree which you are leaning against, etc.

  • Smile and be joyful

 Fake it until you make it. It might seem like an effort and difficult to foster a smile. But, it is effortless. Curl your lips together and grin. Turn that frown upside down! Smiling and positioning our mouth into the smile helps to improve our moods as the body is ‘tricked’ into releasing cortisol and endorphins. We all know all the many benefits of these two magical chemicals in the body. But, did you know that it is also catching?

Fake it until you make it.

Smiling is fantastic and wonderful. It is healthy for the body and mind in reducing our anxieties and stress. It helps lower the heart rate, blood pressure and boost your immunity. A smile a day keeps the misery at bay.

When you smile, you will naturally be joyful; thus, it is effortless. Plus, it will also instantly brighten up someone else’s day when you smile at someone. A smile begins with you. Surely that must bring more smiles to your face.

A smile a day keeps the misery at bay.

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