Apparently today is World Kindness Day – although I always mix it up with the February celebration of kindness. The question I ask myself each year is – why do we just have one day to celebrate kindness?

Shouldn’t every day be a celebration of the amazing acts of kindness, the good deeds, and heroic efforts being made throughout our communities?

Do we really need an excuse to celebrate the random acts of kindness that people in our community are doing?

But, perhaps practising kindness is underrated. We forget the positive power of being kind, failing to recognise the positive effect it has. Like the practise of gratitude, showing kindness boosts your health and improves relationships. Spreading kindness leads to increased happiness and a healthy heart!

Isn’t that motivation enough to do practise kindness daily?

How to practice kindness and compassion

Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. For me, it goes hand-in-hand with compassion.

“Love is kind”

If your short on ideas about how to show kindness, let me help you out:

• give away compliments, from the heart
• take a deep breath, filling your heart and lungs with love, and then breathe it out in a big smile to share with others
• you can share kindness by donating to charity
• write a letter to someone that loves to receive mail
• send a message to that friend that will smile when they see you’ve written
• pay it forward to a random stranger
• be present for someone, just by listening attentively to them
• do something for someone when you notice they need a helping hand
• find a rescue centre or a shelter where you can do some volunteering
• call your mum or a grandparent
• help a stranger on the street

And then take a moment to notice how kindness comes back to you!

There are so many ways you can practice kindness and compassion, without even having to go out of your way.

It might be as simple as keeping your cool with the toddler that is throwing a tantrum on the floor, when you’re already tired.

Be kind – to that toddler and to yourself.

If you need a time-out – take your time-out.

Do you want to have a tantrum on the floor with your toddler? Go right ahead – shake and let it all out.

Perhaps NOT in the middle of the aisle of the supermarket!

But in my experience, there’s no faster way to get a toddler from tantrum to giggling than you having your own tantrum on the floor. The moment you match their level of energy, they feel heard. It resonates with them.

I know – we’re told to be calm and be the adult – but sometimes we have to be the silly adult too! And sometimes we have to raise our energy level to match theirs, so that they can see we’ve really heard them.

This, too, is kindness.

Other times, it’s as simple as just sitting down on the floor and being that place of peace and calm.

Whatever it is… be kind.

Not just in celebration of World Kindness Day.

Every day.