"When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace" - The 14th Dalai Lama (1935)
Why Kindness?
Practicing kindness in everyday life, such as doing something nice for a friend or helping out a stranger, is positively associated with higher levels of happiness. Those who practice kindness continually exhibit increased, sustainable happiness, whereas those who temporarily practice kindness then stop are likely to return to their previous levels of happiness until readopting kind behaviors.
"The practical implications of this positive feedback loop could be that engaging in one kind deed makes you happier and the happier you feel, the more likely you are to do another kind act." - Lara Aknin
Challenge #1: Random Acts of Kindness
Grab a few bucks—$1,$5, or whatever you'd like to spend— and spend it on someone else; take a friend to lunch, pay for the coffee of the person behind you,, or buy your roommate their favorite candy. Evidence suggests that pro-social spending (spending money on friends, family, strangers, etc.) is better for our well-being than only spending on ourselves. If you rather do a kind act without spending money, then simply... do something kind for someone else like holding open a door for someone else, cleaning your apartment living room for your roommates, or sending an encouraging text to a friend to cheer them up.
Challenge #2: Kindness Checklist
Complete at least 2 of the following examples of random acts of kindness in one day.
- Volunteer for 1 hour this week. (Check out CAB for volunteer opportunities)
- Email a professor or TA (currently or in the past) and tell them something positive you took away from their class or style of teaching
- Get in touch with a friend you haven't heard from in a while and see how they're doing
- Give someone a genuine compliment about their character
- Call or text a family member just to say hi
- Give a hug to someone who you think may need it
- Write a motivational sticky note for a roommate or friend who is studying for something
- Create your own!