Marcus Aurelius once said; “Very little is needed to make a life happy, it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” For me, this quote sums up everything that I believe in. Whether we are down, anxious, or upset, the ability to live a happy life is always within ourselves nonetheless. One way to boost your own mental health, and that of others, is to practice random acts of kindness. In our busy lives, we often don’t stop to think about stopping and helping a stranger in their time of need, or simply just doing something nice for someone we do know. I don’t think it’s because we’re selfish, I think it’s simply because we are not wired to be this way.

Some people say that money makes the world go round. I think that random acts of kindness, creativity, and love that make the world go round. When was the last time you carried out a random act of kindness for someone that wasn’t your spouse? What about the old lady that needs help crossing the road? What about the young mum whos grocery bags split all over the car park? Instead of walking the other way, let’s start showing these random acts of kindness, not just for the receiver, but for our own mental health.

In this post, I’ve laid out the best 150 random acts of kindness ideas for you, to give you an idea of what you can start doing today to make someone else’s day whilst making yourself feel good too. After all, if no one ever helped anyone else, none of us would ever get anywhere.

I know people who take, take, take from everyone and everything. However, I also know people who drop everything when their friends need them, people who pick up litter from the beach without being asked, and people who buy or make random gifts for acquaintances. Let’s be honest, if even 50% more of the world displayed random acts of kindness on a more frequent basis, we’d all be better off.

In our tough economy, I believe it’s never been more important to show random acts of kindness. We all need other people to help us when we’re in need. Whether you believe in karma or not, it’s likely your random act of kindness will come back around to you when you don something kind without being prompted.

Here’s why showing random acts of kindness to others is so important…If you show one small act of kindness to someone, it has the ability to change their life. None of us knows what others might be going through. If someone is going through depression or real difficulties in their lives, your random act of kindness can give them that small bit of hope and encouragement that they need to push through, more than you know.

How often do you hear someone say, “my faith in the human race has been restored” after someone performs a random act of kindness they didn’t expect? People just don’t expect others to show acts of random kindness.

Showing random acts of kindness don’t have to be extreme, in fact, the small things are usually the best.

 

 

99 Best Random Acts Of Kindness Ideas

 

1. Make someone a hot drink
2. Volunteer at a homeless shelter
3. Run a bath for your loved one before they come in
4. Text someone a bit of motivation when you know they’re down
5. Give back to your community
6. Donate to children in need
7. Offer to buy someone shopping if they look like they’re struggling
8. Carry someone’s bags to their car
9. Make a handmade card for a loved one
10. Tell someone how much they mean to you
11. Get sponsored to do something for charity
12. Visit a retirement home and volunteer some time there
13. Donate magazines or toys to a children’s hospital
14. Give a stranger a compliment
15. Let someone with kids go in front of you in a line
16. Give a stranger with young kids some money at Christmas time
17. Pay for a stranger’s meal at a restaurant
18. Offer to build someone’s complicated purchase at the homeware store
19. Hold doors open for people
20. Let someone pull out at a junction
21. Donate your old clothes
22. Grit a strangers driveway when it’s icy
23. Fix something for someone for free
24. Offer to take your friends kids to school/drop them off for no reason
25. Say sorry to those who you have had differences within the past
26. Help someone across the street
27. Do days work for someone desperate for help for free
28. Tell someone how much they mean to you without being prompted
29. Pick up trash at the beach
30. Volunteer at your child’s school
31. Pay a young families gas bill
32. Ask someone what their biggest struggle is and commit to helping them solve it
33. Give someone coupons that you know you won’t use anyway
34. Put any loose change you have in a donation box
35. If a waiter does a fantastic job, leave a generous tip for them.
36. Leave an encouraging note for someone
37. Write letters to vets
38. Commit to a day of positivity to lift everyone else’s spirits
39. Look after a friends kids for a day to give them a break!
40. Fill a shoebox with gifts and send it to Africa for a child
41. Give up your seat on the bus/train for the elderly or pregnant
42. Lend something of value to a friend
43. Buy your mother some flowers
44. Make your family a warm drink on a cold day
45. Take your family out for a picnic
46. Surprise your loved one with a day out
47. Leave notes around your house/apartment for a loved one
48. Take your kids out to see a film
49. Get something for your kids you know they’ve wanted for a long time
50. Buy a family some drinks at a restaurant
51. Put an encouraging note in a bottle a throw it into the sea
52. Make a mixtape for someone
53. Clean someone’s car for them, inside and out
54. Cook a healthy meal and donate it to a homeless shelter
55. Mentor someone in need
56. Visit grandparents and listen to their story
57. Help someone who has a flat tyre
58. Lend someone your phone to make a call
59. Mow your neighbour’s lawn
60. Give someone a ride home
61. Lend someone your favourite book
62. Recycle things you don’t use
63. Take someone’s bulky waste to the tip for them
64. Give a sick animal a home
65. Make a blanket or throw to give away as a prize
66. Feed to ducks and birds at the park
67. Let someone else choose what to watch on the TV
68. Donate toys your child doesn’t use anymore
69. Offer to help someone paint their house if they will struggle on their own
70. Plant a tree/trees
71. Babysit for a friend one evening
72. Walk an elderly person dog
73. Volunteer to do some building work for a community project
74. Teach someone something valuable that you find easy
75. Start a blog and share your knowledge
76. Leave small amounts of money for strangers to find
77. Order an anonymous gift to be delivered to someone’s work or home
78. Clean someone’s room for them
79. Take your younger siblings out for the day
80. Speak on advice for young people in need
81. Pay for someone’s car gas
82. Paint someone a picture
83. Tell someone the truth and give them perspective
84. Turn up at a friends place with a small gift
85. Let someone who you’re thinking about them
86. Just say thank you
87. Gather online photos of a loved one and print them in a physical photo album
88. Make a postcard and send it to a loved one
89. Leave a small gift on a strangers doorstep
90. Sign up for organ donation in your local area
91. Take two umbrellas to work so you can hand one out when raining
92. Just listen to someone who needs to vent it out
93. When you find out something useful, share it
94. when someone does a random at of kindness, give thanks
95. Give someone the benefit of the doubt
96. Just check in with someone even if you think they are okay
97. Water your neighbours plants for them
98. Buy a strangers morning coffee
99. Donate food to your local charity

In my opinion, these are some of the best random acts of kindness ideas that you can do right now. As I said above, it’s the small things that often count the most. Making someone else’s day can easily make your own day. The look on someone else’s face is priceless when you perform a random act of kindness.

I hope you enjoyed these random kindness ideas, if you have any suggestions for the list, please leave a comment below.