Good Online Resources

Free or Inexpensive Gestures of Kindness

There are endless little ways we can bring joy to someone's day! Many of these ideas are from www.randomactsofkindness.org.  This is by no means an exhaustive list, but merely a starting point. :)
  1. Leave sticky notes with encouraging messages on them in random places, such as a shelf at the grocery store, the mirror in a public bathroom, or someone's windshield. 
  2. Thank your bus or taxi driver. The hardest part of any job working with the public is dealing with rudeness. Go out of your way to be appreciative and kind.
  3. Wash a car for a neighbor or family member. Bonus points if you let a small child "help." 
  4. Leave a used book on public transport for the next person to enjoy on their journey. You might even leave a note inside, explaining that the finder may keep it or pass it along to someone else. 
  5. Leave anon love on your favorite tumblr blog to help counteract all the anon haters.
  6. Compliment your waitress or waiter. So often, they only hear complaints, and it's a difficult, tiring job. Better yet, ask to see the manager and pass your praise along to him/her. 
  7. Let someone go ahead of you in line at the grocery store, bank, anywhere. 
  8. Write a letter to someone who made a difference in your life. It could be a teacher, a friend, a coach; someone from your present or your past. Be specific in your gratitude to them, or describe a moment you remember fondly. They might not even be aware of the impact they had.
  9. Visit a nursing home. Too often, the elderly are set aside and forgotten about by well-meaning loved ones living busy lives. Try going to a facility and asking the front desk who doesn't get many visitors.  Sit and talk with that person for 15 minutes, or read to them from a favorite book. They will be more grateful than you can imagine.
  10. Smile at 5 strangers. It sounds like such a little thing, but you'd be surprised at the difference it can make in someone's mood!
  11. If you see a car at an expired parking meter, feed the meter some change. (Check your local laws as this is illegal in some parts of the world!)
  12. Donate used clothing to a charity.  Bonus: you end up tidying your closet and drawers.
  13. Show a little extra niceness to the cashier at the shop.  This is especially important should they be wearing an "I'm in training" badge.  Imagine how a kind word and generous smile can help soothe anxious nerves! 
  14. Make a batch of homemade cookies and drop them off at your doctor's office for the staff. 
  15. Donate your hair to Locks of Love or Pantene Beautiful Lengths.
  16. Renew a friendship. Is there someone you've lost touch with? Reach out and take the first step.
  17. Read a book to a child.
  18. Leave a handmade card for the mail carrier.
  19. Compliment 5 people. Be specific; things like "You always can make me smile, even when I'm in a rotten mood" or "That chambray shirt really brings out the blue in your eyes." :)
  20. Donate blood to help save a life. 
  21. See some litter lying around? Pick it up and put it in the bin! 
  22. Listen to someone's problems. Yes, even if they've told them to you before. Even if they are a drama queen. Sometimes people just need someone to listen. Be the one who does. (Also, don't try to fix their problems or one-up them, just listen and support.)
  23. If you aren't going to use it yourself, leave a coupon at the store next to the item it's for.
  24. Share a music playlist with someone who seems a bit blue.
  25. Bring your neighbor's trash bins up from the curb.
  26. Be kind to yourself! Read a book, take a hot bath, have coffee with a friend.
  27. Leave a couple of quarters behind at a laundromat for the next person.
  28. Help someone load or unload their groceries.
  29. Call a grandparent or older relative you haven't spoken to in awhile. They will appreciate a 15 minute chat more than you can imagine.
  30. Write uplifting notes to strangers and put them in the mail, addressed to people you pick at random from the phone book.
  31. Spend 10 minutes pulling weeds from a garden or flower bed.
  32. Call a customer service hotline to compliment a product or person.
  33. Visit an animal shelter. Even if you can't afford to adopt one, just be a soft voice and a kind hand for a furry friend in need of a bit of love.
  34. Make bookmarks with positive quotes on them and stick them inside library books for the next patron to find.
  35. Hug someone you love. Not a quick, going-through-the-motions hug, but a real, tight, squeezy hug. Let the other person be the first to let go.