Happy February! Many of us might think of February as the month of love since Valentine’s Day and the days leading up to the 14th are often full of thoughts about those we love. Others of us might feel like February is a tough month for whatever reasons: Maybe we’ve lost a loved one, we’re struggling in a relationship, and so on. And some of us might fall somewhere in between the two, experiencing both feelings of love and dread for the second month of the year.
When I used to teach early morning seminary (early morning religious class for high schoolers), it was kind of a joke among us teachers that February was hard. Why? Maybe it’s because January is fresh and new and we’ve all just (hopefully) had a holiday vacation or at least a few days off. Maybe it’s because March brings spring and the changing season and spring break in some areas. Maybe it’s because February, well…it can be kind of a dreary month, especially if you live in cold or wet climates. And it’s been proven that seasonal depression can be its worst in January and February for some people.
But, whether or not February is a tough month for you, there could be those around you who are struggling. That can be true any time of the year, in reality. So one thing we can all do is to simply be kinder to one another—even to perfect strangers.
Being kind doesn’t take a lot of time or a lot of planning in most cases, it often costs little to zero money, and it’s something we can do every day. Being kind has both physical and mental health benefits too:
- Decreased stress
- Improved self-esteem
- Reduced depression and anxiety
- Increased serotonin and dopamine (the feel good hormones)
- Better blood pressure levels
- Better mood
- Decreased loneliness
- Better relationships
- Lower pain levels
- Increased compassion and empathy
- Healthier life overall
- Potentially longer life span
And being kind to others can’t help but make you feel better too. Here are some ideas to get you started, and many of these won’t cost you anything but a few minutes of time:
- Send an encouraging text to someone
- Smile at someone
- Let someone cut in front of you in line
- Leave surprise personal notes for others in random places
- Call someone just because
- Leave a bigger than usual tip
- Send a note to someone via snail mail
- Shop at a small business
- Leave a positive review
- Say “thank you” more often
- Offer to serve someone
- Offer to return someone’s grocery cart
- Bring in the neighbor’s garbage cans after garbage day
- Pay for the person behind you in the drive through lane
- Leave water bottles on your front porch for delivery people
- Take flowers to someone just because
- Send a birthday card via snail mail
- Anonymously send a gift card to someone who’s going through a tough time
- Teach a skill or talent to someone else
- And the list could go on and on and on!
Being kind blesses both the giver and the receiver, and let’s be honest: Our world could definitely use more kindness, right?! As Mahatma Gandhi so wisely said,
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
We can be a tremendous force for good in this world by simply being kind to those around us.
What kind thing will you do today? Please leave it in a comment below!
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