Choosing to do or reflect on positive things has the power to elicit positive emotions such as joy and gratitude. These emotions play a powerful role in mental health and can act as protection against feelings of stress and depression. Embracing positive thoughts and optimism can also promote and enhance levels of mental well-being and happiness.
Activity
Throughout the day today, perform 3 acts of kindness. This can be done at any point throughout your day and can be at any level you feel comfortable with. On this landing page, you will find a list of examples of acts of kindness you can complete at work, at home, in public, or virtually. Use these examples as a starting point and feel free to create your own list of acts that you feel comfortable doing.
At the end of the day, take a moment to reflect on the acts of kindness you completed. You may reflect on these moments in your mind, or write them out if you prefer. Some reflection prompts are listed below to help you with this process.
Come back to this activity when you are in need of a positive boost throughout your day. Consider how you can add more positive actions throughout your week. The more you do this, the better you will feel.
While performing 3 acts of kindness is suggested, you can perform more or fewer – this is entirely dependent on your level of comfort and ability. Sometimes it’s easier to start small, begin with one act of kindness and gradually add more when you feel ready to do so.
Acts of kindness
At work:
- Hold the door or elevator for someone
- Say thank you or send a thank-you note to a colleague who has helped you recently
- Check in with a co-worker and see how they are doing
- Congratulate a colleague on a recent achievement
- Take a moment to smile at a co-worker or pop by their desk and say hello
- Tell the delivery person, cleaning staff, or others you encounter during your day that you appreciate the work they do
- Create a custom music playlist for a co-worker
- Bring in books you love and pass them on
- Bring in treats for co-workers
At home:
- Check in with a family member, roommate, partner, or friend and see how they are doing
- Put a special note in a family member, roommate, partner, or friend’s lunch
- Cook or purchase a meal to enjoy with the people you live with
- Offer to help someone with a chore
- Do a chore without being asked
- Smile, wave, or say hello to your neighbours
- Leave a thank-you note for a delivery person
- Put a whiteboard or some poster board out in your home for family members to write nice messages to each other
- Leave small gifts or treats for neighbors at their door
- Take your neighbor’s pet for a walk
- Help your neighbor with their yard work, like mowing the lawn or shoveling the driveway
In public:
- Hold the door for someone
- Greet the people providing service to you
- Say thank you
- Pay it forward in the morning coffee line
- Return a wayward grocery cart in the parking lot to the cart corral
- Make a small donation to a charity of your choice
- Let someone else go in front of you in the grocery store line
- Leave some spare change in a vending machine with a note so the next person who uses it can get a free treat
- If you see someone struggling to carry their groceries, lend a hand
- Pick up litter in your community
- Smile, wave, or say hello to people you pass
Virtually:
- Comment something positive on a friend or family member’s social media post
- Support a small business/friend or family member’s business by liking a post, following their page, giving them a Google review or sharing their post to your page
- Email a former teacher, or someone who helped you, to say thank you
- Purchase a Wish List item for a local non-profit – ordering items online is an excellent contactless way to donate
- Email a note of gratitude or congratulations to a colleague, friend, or family member
Moment of reflection prompts
How did completing the 3 acts of kindness make you feel in the moment?
Did you notice any changes in your mood throughout the day?
Did the recipients of your acts of kindness say or do anything after receiving your act of kindness?
Were there any moments of kindness or positivity that stood out to you today?
Did you find it easy to include acts of kindness in your day?
Can you visualize how you may include acts of kindness in your week ahead?
References
- Bolier et al. (2013). Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. BMC Public Health. 13:119 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/13/119
- Cunha LF, Pellanda LC and Reppold CT (2019) Positive Psychology and Gratitude Interventions: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Front. Psychol. 10:584. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00584
- Mongrain, M., & Anselmo-Matthews, T. (2012). Do positive psychology exercises work? A replication of Seligman et al.(2005). Journal of clinical psychology, 68(4).
- Santos, V. et al. (2013). The role of positive emotion and contributions of positive psychology in depression treatment: Systematic review. Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, 9, 221-237.
- Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.5.410