101 Easy Random Acts of Kindness Ideas
This list is courtesty of Buzzfeed
- Tweet or Facebook message a genuine compliment to three people right now.
- Bring doughnuts (or a healthy treat, like cut-up fruit) to work.
- While you’re out, compliment a parent on how well-behaved their child is.
- Don’t write the angry internet comment you’re thinking of writing.
- When everyone around you is gossiping about someone, be the one to butt in with something nice.
- Cook a meal or do a load of laundry for a friend who just had a baby or is going through a difficult time.
- If you walk by a car with an expired parking meter, put a quarter in it.
- Put your phone away.
- Hang out with the person who just moved to town.
- Offer a homeless person your leftovers bag from the restaurant.
- Each time you get a new piece of clothing, donate an old one.
- Don’t interrupt when someone else is speaking. (Surprisingly few people master this.)
- Email or write an old teacher who made a difference in your life.
- Compliment someone to their boss.
- Leave a nice server the biggest tip you can afford.
- Smile at someone on the street, just because.
- Let someone into your lane. They’re probably in a rush just like you.
- Forgive someone, and never bring up the issue again.
- Talk to the shy person who’s sitting by themselves at a party.
- Leave your New York Times or Us Weekly behind for someone else to read at the coffeeshop, the doctor’s office, or on a plane.
- Cut someone some slack.
- Help a mother with her baby stroller.
- Become a big brother or big sister.
- Let the person behind you at the supermarket checkout with one or two items go ahead of you.
- Write someone a letter. Like a real letter, on paper. And mail it!
- Give away stuff for free on Craigslist.
- Make a “breakup playlist” on Spotify for your friend who’s going through heartbreak.
- Give someone a book you think they’d like.
- Be the person who puts a tip in the tip jar at the coffee shop. (Fewer people tip than you’d think!)
- Bring in fun office supplies to liven up the workday for everyone.
- When you go somewhere to get or do something, ask the people around you if you can pick up anything they need.
- Give someone a hug.
- If you spill creamer or sugar on the counter at Starbucks, wipe it up.
- Call your grandparents. Call them!
- Donate your old eyeglasses so someone else can use them.
- When you’re throwing something away on the street, pick up any litter around you and put that in the trash too.
- Write something nice on that person’s updates who posts on Facebook constantly. They’re probably lonely.
- Sincerely compliment your boss, who probably doesn’t often get feedback from her reports.
- Put sticky notes with positive slogans on the mirrors in restrooms.
- Let them have the parking space.
- Relay an overheard compliment.
- Volunteer to read to kids at an after-school program.
- Bring your partner coffee in bed tomorrow.
- Try to make sure every person in a group conversation feels included.
- Stop to talk to a homeless person.
- Answer that email you’ve been avoiding.
- Send anonymous flowers to the receptionist at work.
- Pay the toll for the person behind you.
- Donate or recycle your old laptop and electronics.
- Write a nice comment on your friend’s blog.
- Play board games with senior citizens at a nursing home. Sixty percent of them will never have a visitor during their stay.
- Give someone a tissue who’s crying in the public, and offer to talk about it, but only if they want to.
- Listen intently.
- Babysit for a single mom for free.
- Adopt a rescue pet.
- Compliment someone in front of others.
- Hold the elevator.
- IM or email that person you’re afraid to talk to because you don’t want to “bother them.” They’re probably thinking the same thing about others!
- Remind yourself that everyone is fighting their own struggles.
- Leave some extra quarters in the laundry room.
- Write your partner a list of things you love about them.
- Put together a small herb garden for someone.
- Empathize.
- Say thank you to a janitor.
- Talk to someone at work whom you have’t talked to before.
- Frame your friend’s favorite lyric or quote and give it to them with a nice note.
- Send dessert to another table.
- Text someone just to say good morning or good night.
- Help your elderly neighbor take out the trash or mow their lawn.
- Give up your seat to someone (anyone!) on the bus or subway.
- Tell your siblings how much you appreciate them.
- Bring a security guard a hot cup of coffee.
- Plant a tree.
- Purchase some extra dog or cat food and drop it off at an animal shelter.
- If you’re a good photographer, take photos of your friends and make them into a digital album.
- Send mail to child battling cancer.
- Smile when you feel like scowling.
- Wash someone’s car.
- Dog or catsit for free.
- Keep an extra umbrella at work and let someone borrow it on their way home if there’s a sudden downpour.
- Make two lunches and give one away.
- Reduce air pollution by carpooling.
- Say yes at the store when the cashier asks if you want to donate $1 to whichever cause.
- Be encouraging!
- Help someone struggling with heavy bags.
- Take all your change to Coinstar and donate your collection to charity.
- Give your friend a hug, touch their arm, or pat them on the back. So many of us are starved for human touch!
- Buy lemonade from a kid’s lemonade stand.
- Give your partner the benefit of the doubt.
- Be kind to the customer service rep on the phone. It’s not their fault.
- Do the dishes even if it’s your roommate’s turn.
- Print out this gift pillowbox and leave someone special something special.
- Give someone the rest of your pack of gum.
- Be patient.
- Clean someone’s windshield.
- Every night before you go to bed, think of three things you’re grateful for.
- Make plans with that person you’ve been putting off seeing.
- Call your mom.
- Offer to return a shopping cart to the store for someone loading groceries in their car.
- Have a clean-up party on the beach or at a park.
- When you hear that negative, discouraging voice in your head, remember to leave yourself alone — you deserve kindness too!