World Kindness day is tomorrow, Tuesday, November 13. If you know me, kindness is my thing, first and foremost, kindness to self that way you can extend it to others. I have a shirt that I wear often that says ‘be cool, be kind’ and I really don’t think you can have one without the other. A few years ago, we gave out wristbands for our homegrown Schu Farm Fest camping and music weekend and they read ‘Do Good + Be Kind’ it was this simple message out of everything we brainstormed that struck a chord with each and every one of us on the SFF committee.

I hear a lot of grumbles when it comes to holidays of this nature. Holidays that encourage you to do something you really should be doing every day, but hey, I don’t think reminders hurt. I also think the grumblers need a snack and someone to be nice to them..

Here are 40 Super Simple Ways to Celebrate World Kindness Day

Kindness to self

1. Talk kindly to yourself.
2. Exercise or take a walk in nature.
3. Feed yourself a healthy meal.
4. Take twenty minutes to read about something you enjoy.
5. Identify your needs and how to meet them.
6. Write in a journal – even if it’s jotting down a list of random words and feelings.
7. Write a love letter to yourself. Read it aloud in the mirror each day for a week. (This is extremely powerful and yes, it feels awkward AF)
8. Change your bedsheets and wash all your blankets.
9. Pet an animal.
10. Get a good nights rest.

Kindness to loved ones

1. Send a group text – tell a specific group of people (family, bridesmaids, sports team, etc) how much you care about them. The text will resound with positivity.
2. Write someone a love note or thank you card. Send it! Short and sweet is perfect.
3. Send flowers to someone or pick some for a nearby friend.
4. Leave a six-pack or bottle of wine on your buddy’s porch.
5. Send a custom care package – seriously the best way to make someone’s day.
6. Bring a healthy snack into the office.
7. Be extra kind to the ones you live and work with.
8. Ask someone how you can be better for them and try. You may learn something so tiny that could help your relationship. Try asking a parent, sibling, partner, coworker, etc
9. Offer to walk a friends’ dog. You’ll fulfill being kind to yourself and grant your friend an extra hour and the dog will relax for the rest of the day. Win, win, win.
10. Offer to babysit for another family for a few hours – for free. It doesn’t have to be on Tuesday, but ask!

Kindness to strangers

1. Let someone in front of you in line or in traffic.
2. Give everyone you meet a compliment.
3. Pay it forward – tip extra or pay for someone else’s coffee, fast food, etc
4. Thank the random people who make your life easier, barista, cashier, gas attendant, etc
5. Donate time, money, or supplies to a cause you appreciate.
6. Help an elderly person – a novel idea – simply *chat* with an older person.
7. Rake someone’s yard / clean their curb for them.
8. Leave a positive comment on every blog post and article you read today.
9. Leave a positive note, quote, or flyer on coffeeshop messageboards, in newspaper dispensers, under windshield wipers, etc.
10. Spend a few hours on your porch or outside maybe in a park in your neighborhood and make an effort to talk with people that also live there.

Kindness to the planet

1. Focus on reducing, reusing, and recycling. Seriously. Every tiny action.
2. Unplug everything in your house and realize which items actually need to stay plugged in.
3. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. This is an important life skill.
4. Start a compost pile.
5. Clean up your block, favorite trail, or stretch of road you often use.
6. Look into replacing your household products. Seek out ones that are biodegradable and less harsh. Simply start a list of what alternative product you will buy next time you run out.
7. Donate money or time to an environmentally friendly movement.
8. Do your research, learn which of your representatives care about the environment and support them.
9. Walk, ride a bike, or carpool to work.
10. Educate yourself and others on ways to care for the planet. Individuals can only do so much, but together we can change policy.

Here are a few posts to help with your kindness quotient:

• be kind to yourself
• create a care package in five steps
• four ways to make your friends’ day
• grateful for what isn’t
• easy mala bead meditation