Celebrating the Power of Kindness: 101 Ways to Be Kind

At The Lily-Jo Project, we are big fans of the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation – an organisation dedicated to making kindness the norm.

Cultivating a culture of kindness is integral to our work in the mental health sector. Experiencing kindness from others has a positive impact on our mental health; helping us feel connected, supported, and positive about the world around us. We also reap a number of meaningful mental health benefits when we ourselves are kind to others. It really is a win-win!

So in honour of World Kindness Day and Random Acts of Kindness Week, we’ve put together a list of 101 ways to be kind – at home, work, school, and in your community.

101 Ways to Be Kind

At Home

1. Give a friend a phone call just to say hello
2. Write a hand-written letter to a long-distance friend or family member
3. Cook a simple meal for the household
4. Bake a cake or loaf of bread for the household
5. Invite a neighbour over for a brew and a biscuit
6. Clear out a closet and donate some items to your local charity shop
7. Make a small donation to a charity or sponsor someone who is raising money for a cause
8. Surprise your partner/relative/roommate with a hand-written note on their desk
9. Spoil your pet with a new toy or treat
10. Take your dog for an extra long walk to their favourite spot
11. Offer to pick up your partner/relative/roommate from work
12. Put together a care package for someone you know who is struggling
13. Help out with a household chore you don’t normally do
14. Tell your partner/relative/friend how proud you are of them
15. Tell your partner/relative/friend how grateful you are for them
16. Send someone you’ve lost touch with a text to see how they’re doing
17. Offer to help an elderly neighbour with a household chore
18. Ask your partner/relative/roommate how their day was – and give them your full attention
19. Ask your partner/relative/roommate to tell you about their latest project or hobby
20. Write and send a thank you note to someone who recently helped you
21. Bring flowers home for the household to enjoy
22. Check-in with a friend or family member who has recently been ill
23. Make a warm batch of soup for the household on a cold day
24. Host an informal get together with friends at your home
25. Organise a coffee morning for a charity you love

At Work

26. Hold the door open for anyone behind you as you enter the building
27. Smile and say hello when you arrive to the office
28. Make a round of tea for your colleagues
29. Introduce yourself to a new hire to make them feel welcome
30. Bring a few packs of biscuits for the office to share
31. Invite someone to lunch or a coffee
32. Provide encouragement and a listening ear to a frustrated colleague
33. Complement your team for their work on a recent project
34. If someone from another team helped you, write a note to their manager to praise their good work
35. Listen to your teammate’s ideas without interrupting or passing judgement
36. Provide encouraging, constructive feedback
37. Assist a colleague who is struggling to meet a deadline
38. Write a thank you note to a colleague who helped you
39. Sponsor a colleague who is raising funds for a cause
40. Ask your teammates about their plans for the weekend
41. Give positive feedback to a team member who did a great job
42. Organise a team lunch or outing
43. Offer to carpool with a colleague who lives nearby
44. Offer to drive a colleague to the train station if it’s raining
45. Tidy up the common area or breakroom
46. Celebrate a teammember’s recent accomplishment
47. Nominate a team member for an award within your organisation or industry
48. Cover for a colleague who had to leave work for the day unexpectedly
49. Introduce junior colleagues to senior colleagues in your network
50. Send a card and/or care package to a colleague who is ill or recovering from an injury

At School

51. Smile and say hello when you walk into your classroom
52. Sit with someone new at dinner
53. Tell your teacher thank you
54. Write your teacher a thank you card
55. Hold the door open for someone
56. Help out a friend with their homework
57. Clean up after yourself
58. Donate some of your old books to the school library
59. Pick up litter from the playground and throw it away
60. Make a new student feel welcome by introducing yourself
61. Bring a potted plant to sit in your classroom
62. Colour a picture for your friend
63. Offer to help your teacher tidy up the classroom
64. Let someone go ahead of you in a queue
65. Make a get well card for a friend who isn’t feeling well
66. Compliment a friend on their artwork
67. Comfort a friend who is having a bad day
68. Ask your teacher if there is anything you can do to help
69. Bring your teacher a small souvenir after a holiday
70. Smile and make someone laugh
71. Apologise when you’ve hurt someone’s feelings
72. Include someone who is alone
73. Ask someone how their day is going
74. Help a younger student who is lost
75. Let the school cook know how nice dinner was

Out and About

76. Hold open the door for someone as you walk in or out of a building
77. Give up your seat on the bus or train to an elderly, disabled, or pregnant person
78. Smile and say hello to your mail carrier
79. Offer to help someone who looks lost
80. Allow someone to merge into your lane in busy traffic
81. Return any extra shopping carts on your way into the supermarket
82. Pay for the person behind you in the drive thru or at a coffee shop
83. Donate blood
84. Write a positive online review for your favourite restaurant or shop
85. Donate old blankets or towels to a local animal shelter
86. Welcome a new neighbour by introducing yourself
87. Pick up litter in the park
88. Help an elderly neighbour take the bins out on a cold or rainy day
89. Put your loose change in a donation box for charity
90. Bake muffins or a cake for a neighbour who lives alone
91. Compliment someone’s sense of style
92. Sign up to volunteer for a local cause
93. Donate unused pantry items to a local food bank
94. Use public transport to save energy
95. Buy from a local business and make a post about it on social media
96. Invite someone new in town to attend a social event
97. Support your friends’ hobbies by attending their events or complimenting their projects
98. Compliment your neighbour on their garden
99. Leave a positive comment on a friend’s social media post
100. Leave a tip when eating out
101. Share vegetables from your garden with your neighbour

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed these ideas and can put a few into action!

We know that kindness can’t solve all mental health challenges. If you are in crisis and need immediate support or someone to talk to, there are a number of different helplines available here in the UK:

• Samaritans
• National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK
• Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)
• Shout
• The Mix

You can also always explore our self-help resource here at The Lily-Jo Project, which features top tips, personal stories, and practical advice for maintaining good mental health.

Further Resources and Inspiration on Kindness

If you found this article helpful, check out these additional resources on kindness:

• The Lily-Jo Project’s article, The Mental Health Benefits of Being Kind
• The Lily-Jo Project’s article, Making Kindness a Family Affair…
• The Lily-Jo Project’s article, Be the Light: 4 Tips for Raising Positive & Encouraging Children
• Practical resources for home and school from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
• Teaching resources from 52 Lives – School of Kindness

Sign Up to Our Mailing List!

Want to stay up to date with our latest mental health resources? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!

It’s packed with:

• All our latest resources
• Practical mental health top tips
• Exclusive news and updates

SIGN UP NOW!