Whether you are celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Week (February 13 to 19 in 2024), Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17) or looking for an alternative to giving up something for Lent, you may find my Random Acts of Kindness Challenge helpful. I have included forty different random acts of kindness for you to be inspired by. I would love for you to share any other ideas you have in the comments so we can inspire each other.
There is no doubt that life is even more beautiful when we are kind. In many cases, we attract what we give out, so not only does sharing random acts of kindness make life sweeter for others, it can make life sweeter for us as well.
“Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of other people”
Karen Salmansohn
Personally, I like to mark the season of Lent (February 14 to March 28 in 2024) with some sort of challenge. This year I am challenging myself to carry out random acts of kindness every day, a minimum of one each day. You can start at any point during Lent – it is never too late!
Of course, there is no reason to restrict carrying out random acts of kindness to a particular time of year. Ideally, this challenge will inspire us to continue to look for ways to incorporate random acts of kindness in our everyday lives on a regular basis.
The suggestions do not have to be done in order; choose one to do each day or simply watch for opportunities to carry them out. Feel free to mix and match – and if you have any more suggestions please leave them in the comments. I think finding different ways to be kind to one another is an incredibly valuable pursuit.
40 Random Acts of Kindness
So, without further ado, here are my suggestions for random acts of kindness.
40 Random Acts of Kindness
- Smile at a stranger.
- Say hello to the people you see when you are out on a walk or run.
- Bake someone happy with a gift of cookies or a small cake. Better still bake a recipe that makes 2 of something, one for you and one for a friend!
- Bring in a neighbour’s rubbish/garbage bin after the weekly collection and make sure there’s no garbage scattered in front of their house.
- If you are outside when your garbage/rubbish is picked up, say thank you to the people who are collecting it. Smile and look them in the eye. Sometimes the people who do incredibly valuable jobs feel completely unnoticed and under valued.
- Buy flowers for a friend or neighbour.
- Leave some money with the barista to pay for the order of the person behind you.
- Offer to babysit a friend’s baby/child for a an hour or so while they take a little time for themselves.
- Make a point of speaking to the person who delivers your mail. Thank them for delivering in all weathers.
- Invite friends round to dinner.
- Call a friend and spend a few minutes chatting with them. Really listen to what is going on in their lives.
- Reach out to someone you have not seen in a while and arrange to go to lunch or on an outing together.
- Check with an elderly neighbour or one with young children before you go shopping to see if you can bring anything back for them so they do not have to go to the store.
- Write a letter to someone important to you sharing all the things you love about them. Thank them for how they make your life better.
- Make an extra casserole and share it with a neighbour or friend.
- Make a meal basket or a fruit and vegetable basket up for someone you know who may be struggling in some way and take it round to them.
- Be patient and friendly in the check out queue at the grocery store. The person in front of you may need a little extra time for whatever reason – even if only because the cashier is the only person they will speak to all day.
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- Give a copy of a book you enjoyed or found valuable to a friend who you think might enjoy it too. This is one of my favourite random acts of kindness!
- Write a long newsy letter, and send it with a packaged tea bag tucked inside. Explain at the beginning of the letter that you hope the recipient will make a cup of tea and relax while they read your letter.
- On your next walk, take a plastic bag and some gloves with you. Collect any litter you see and take it home to dispose of it.
- Take the time to ask “How are you, really?” (affiliate link). Look the person you are asking in the eye and really listen to their answer.
- Give someone a compliment. Looking for opportunities to compliment people encourages you to look for the good in everything.
- The next time you read something or listen to a podcast that really resonates with you, reach out to the creator and tell them how their work affected you.
- Borrow your partner’s car and take it to be washed – or if it is a nice day you can wash it yourself.
- Carry out a task that someone else in your household normally does.
- Run an errand for a friend or family member.
- Offer to carry out a task (for example a cleaning or gardening task) for a friend or neighbour who is elderly, infirm or just needs a little extra help.
- Volunteer with a local charity, either for a special event or long term.
- Donate money to a charity.
- Declutter and donate anything you no longer want or need to your favourite charity shop.
- Edit your wardrobe, donating anything in good condition to charity. For example, Smart Works is a UK charity that helps women get back into the workforce with a free dressing and coaching service. They are always looking for good quality clothes to style their clients.
- Let the person approaching the same parking space as you are at the same time have the space.
- Invite someone who has their hands full, looks like standing may be uncomfortable for them, has a crying baby or a child who is acting up to sit down if you are on public transport or to go ahead of you in line at the grocery store or coffee shop.
- Speak to the person on the checkout at the grocery store. Ask how they are and really listen to the response. If you go to the same places regularly, endeavour to remember the answers to your questions. Next time you see the person, enquire as to how things are going with something they mentioned. For example, one day I asked a lady on the checkout how she was and she said her back was really bothering her. The next time I was in her line at the checkout, I asked how her back was feeling. She felt seen and heard and her pleased reaction to the fact I had remembered our conversation gave me a huge lift.
- Give up complaining for a day – or longer. (One year I gave up complaining for Lent – it was really hard!) It is amazing how complaining about things can bring people down emotionally – and how being positive can lift them up.
- If you see a small item or treat you know a friend or relative will love and it is within budget, buy it and give it to them “just because”.
- Give a positive feedback to a service provider or business who have helped you. Either send it to them by email or post it to their Google Business Profile or other review site. If a restaurant or hotel have given you particularly good service, submit a Trip Advisor review. Positive reviews and testimonials really not only give people a boost, they can actually increase business.
- Offer to take a friend or neighbour’s dog for a walk.
- If your grocery store has a receptacle for food bank donations, buy a couple of extra items to donate. Many will also accept donations of personal care items. Some also accept donations of pet food. It would be heartbreaking for someone to have to give up a pet because they cannot afford to feed them.
What Will You Do?
Whether you decide to adopt this challenge, or just carry out random acts of kindness on an ad hoc basis, I hope that making life a little easier or more fun for someone else will make life even more beautiful for you.
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