It’s Random Acts of Kindness Week… What Will You Do?

Every year, there is one week internationally recognized as “Random Acts of Kindness Week” organized by the Random Acts of Kindness Organization, created with the hopes that it will inspire people world over to do nice things for one another — things they might not always think to do. We all get busy with things. We have hectic social lives and work or school and it’s easy to forget that small, thoughtful gestures can be really impactful for someone else. We listed 7 things you can do this week, that range from easy, slightly out-of-your-way acts to greater gestures. Pick one and pay it forward this week!

1) Buy a cup of coffee for the two people behind you in line. Don’t mention it but just say you’d like to pay for their orders. Once they realize what you did without even mentioning it, they’re probably be inclined to do the same for someone else.

2) Get a card for someone in your family, for no reason at all. Fill it out with a thoughtful note about how much they mean to you and something you love about them. Stick it in their room or purse so they find it randomly throughout the day.

3) Bake cookies or a special treat for everyone in the office or in your class. This is always a nice way to just add something special to an average day.

4) Let someone with less items at the market in front of you in line. Though I’d say this is something we should always try to do, some of us don’t remember or don’t have the time. This time, let someone cut in front of you.

5) Clean out your closets and donate some of your clothes to organizations that give clothing to refugees or homeless people. It’s still winter, and we often forget that not everyone has a cozy, warm home to come to at the end of every day. If you have extra items, clean out your closet and help make someone else stay warm this winter.

6) Gift one of your favorite books to a co-worker. Get one of your favorite books, write a personalized note on the front page and randomly leave it on a co-workers desk. This will be something they definitely won’t forget!

7) Pick up trash you randomly see on the ground in public and just throw it away. Littering is an awful thing, and it makes the environment much less enjoyable for everyone. Pick up pieces of trash you see and just dump them in a trash can where they belong. Maybe a child will see you doing this and will be inspired to do the same. Teach by example, as they say.

Can you think of other random acts of kindness we can all do throughout the week (or just on a regular basis?) Share them in the comments below! Browse more random acts of kindness on the official website, or reading this Kindness blog and do something that could genuinely make a difference to someone, no matter how small it may be.