Following Valentine’s Day weekend comes a very special little holiday that most of us probably haven’t heard of before. National Random Acts of Kindness Day lands on Feb 17th and is a great excuse to spread positivity and kindness to those around you.
An act of kindness can be as simple as a phone call, a smile, or doing a little task for someone else. If everyone took a few minutes out of their day to do something for another person, just think how much more wonderful our world would be.
Since random acts of kindness are never limited to a single day, here are 50 ways to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day and spread some kindness year round.
1. Drop off freshly baked cookies at a friend’s house.
2. Leave extra quarters on the laundry machine for the next person.
3. Leave a nice and thoughtful comment on a post by a friend or a creator that you really admire and appreciate
4. Write a letter of gratitude to someone who made a positive impact on your life or who you just really appreciate. Then send the letter!
5. Send an unexpected card or gift to a friend or family member for no reason.
6. Leave a really good review for a small business or restaurant that you love and tell your friends about them.
7. Leave post-its with positive messages hidden around your home to be discovered by your roommates or family members. You could even expand this to your neighborhood or your daily commute!
8. Let someone go in front of you in line at the grocery store when they only have a couple of items.
9. Send a thank you email to a coworker who deserves some recognition.
10. Donate to a charity that’s important to you.
11. Go for a walk in the neighborhood or in your favorite park and pick up 20 pieces of trash (Bonus points if you recruit friends to join in!)
12. Leave an extra generous tip next time you order food.
13. Do a chore that your roommate or partner usually does to give them a break.
14. Run an errand for a busy neighbor or friend.
15. Commit to saying only positive things about others (and yourself!) for a day.
16. When you finish a good book, send it to someone you think would enjoy it or leave it in the laundry room for someone to discover.
17. Give a stranger a compliment.
18. Surprise a friend or the stranger behind you in the grocery line with a bouquet of flowers.
19. Bake some treats for the essential workers in your life.
20. Paint rocks with bright colors and positive messages and leave them in your local park for people to discover.
21. Sign up to volunteer in your city! There are also lots of virtual volunteer opportunities available now too.
22. Offer to help someone carry a heavy load up the stairs.
23. Send a thoughtful and fun package to a friend whose birthday is coming up.
24. Send a text of appreciation to a friend.
25. Pay for the person behind you in line for coffee.
26. Make cards to be included in care packages delivered to those in need.
27. Support a friend who is starting a hobby or working towards a goal by sending them an interesting article or a little present related to their new interest.
28. Get together with your household and share things that you really appreciate about living with each other.
29. Don’t forget to be kind to yourself! Spend 30 minutes doing something you love.
30. Be there to listen to someone if they’re having a bad day and don’t make the conversation about you.
31. Send your mother surprise flowers “just because.”
32. Donate items that are in good condition or extra toiletries to a local homeless shelter.
33. Surprise your partner with their favorite meal for dinner (and their favorite dessert too!)
34. Start a “pay it forward” chain by paying for someone’s coffee at your local coffee shop and encouraging them to pay for the next person.
35. The next time you get a major haircut, consider donating it to Locks of Love or another organization that makes wigs for children with cancer.
36. If someone you know is looking for a job personally introduce them to your network of contacts.
37. Host a fundraiser for a cause you care about.
38. Volunteer at your local animal shelter or offer to foster a dog or cat in need of a home.
39. Bust out your stationary and send a hand written letter to a friend instead of a text message.
40. Give up your seat on the subway or bus to someone else.
41. Offer to help someone out with something at work without being asked.
42. Give a compliment to every person you interact with for a full week.
43. Surprise your doorman with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning.
44. Donate old books to your local doctor’s office, shelter or Goodwill.
45. Leave water bottles and snacks out for your mailman, especially during high volume delivery times like the holidays.
46. Let your partner sleep in and bring them coffee in bed.
47. Offer to mow the lawn, shovel snow or rake leaves for your neighbor.
48. Run a 5k to benefit a non-profit organization you love.
49. Genuinely ask your Uber driver, waiter or anyone who is serving you how their day is going.
50. Make a list of 10 more random acts of kindness to keep this going!
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