kindness for self essay

Essay on Kindness

500 words essay on kindness.

The world we live in today has been through a lot of things from world wars to epidemics, but one thing which remained constant throughout was resilience and kindness. Moreover, it was the spirit to fight back and help out each other. Kindness must be an essential and universal quality to make the world a better place. Through an essay on kindness, we will go through it in detail.

Importance of Kindness

Kindness towards nature, animals and other people has the ability to transform the world and make it a beautiful place for living. But, it is also important to remember that kindness towards you is also essential for personal growth.

Kindness is basically being polite, compassionate and thoughtful. Every religion and faith teaches its followers to be kind. Most importantly, kindness must not limit to humans but also to every living creature.

Even nature has its own way of showing kindness. For instance, the trees grow fruits for us and provide us with shade. One must not see kindness as a core value but as a fundamental behavioural element. When you are kind to your loved ones, you create a stable base.

As people are becoming more self-centred today, we must learn kindness. We must try to integrate it into ourselves. You might not know how a small act of kindness can bring about a change in someone’s life. So, be kind always.

Kindness Always Wins

There is no doubt that kindness always wins and it has been proven time and again by people. Sid is a greedy man who does not share his wealth with anyone, not even his family members.

He also does not pay his workers well. One day, he loses his bag of gold coins and loses his temper. Everyone helps him out to search for it but no one finds it. Finally, his worker’s little son finds the bag.

Upon checking the bag, he sees all the coins are there. But, his greed makes him play a trick on the poor worker. He claims that there were more coins in the bag and the worker stole them.

The issue goes to the court and the judge confirms from Sid whether his bag had more coins to which he agrees. So, the judge rules out that as Sid’s bag had more coins , the bag which the worker’s son found is not his.

Therefore, the bag gets handed to the worker as no one else claims it. Consequently, you see how the worker’s son act of kindness won and paid him well. On the other hand, how Sid’s greediness resulted in his loss only.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of the Essay on Kindness

It is essential for all of us to understand the value of kindness. Always remember, it does not cost anything to be kind. It may be a little compliment or it can be a grand gesture, no matter how big or small, kindness always matters. Therefore, try your best to be kind to everyone around you.

FAQ of Essay on Kindness

Question 1: Why is it important to be kind?

Answer 1: It is important to be kind because it makes one feel good about oneself. When you do things for other people and help them with anything, it makes you feel warm and that you have accomplished something. Moreover, you also get respect in return.

Question 2: Why is kindness so powerful?

Answer 2: Kindness has a lot of benefits which includes increased happiness and a healthy heart . It slows down the ageing process and also enhances relationships and connections, which will indirectly boost your health.

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51 Kindness Essay Topics & Examples

Looking for kindness topic ideas to write about? The concepts of kindness, generosity, and compassion are crucial nowadays.

🏆 Best Kindness Essay Examples

📌 top kindness topics to write about, 🥰 interesting kindness essay topics, 👍 controversial kindness topic ideas, 🙏 catchy kindness essay titles.

Being a debated subject in philosophy, psychology, and religion, kindness is definitely worth writing about. The topic of kindness is one of the key in the Bible. It has become especially important nowadays, in the era of intolerance and instability. In your kindness essay, you might want to focus on the importance of helping others. Another option is to consider the concept of kindness in philosophy, psychology, and religion. Whatever direction you will choose, this article will be helpful. It contains everything necessary to write an A+ paper on generosity & compassion! There are kindness essay examples, topics, and research titles.

• Stories of Random Acts of Kindness Foundation I made a shopping list and after completing it, I went to one of the shelters to hand over the purchases to its representatives. In addition, it is important to understand that the reaction of […]
• Critical Response “On Compassion” She is a lawyer, a sign that her level of literacy is quite higher and she able to learn and understand, even by seeing, the situation of other people.
• Acts of Kindness and Happiness in Human Life The research at hand is aimed to prove that, to boost happiness through receiving positive emotions, a person should commit more actions that can be referred to as acts of kindness.
• Random Acts of Kindness Foundation and Personal Acts of Kindness This exercise enabled me to reflect on my principles and think about the kind of impact I make in my day-to-day life.
• Acts of Kindness in Society Initially, she wrote a report on this topic, in the preparation of which she visited the shelter and was upset to tears about how depressing the life of animals is.
• “The Kindness of Strangers” by Ruben Martinez The USA may promote itself to be the “land of immigrants” with the Statue of Liberty as a shining reminder of what the rhetoric of residency means.
• Does True Altruism Exist? Therefore, in their experiment, Cialdini and his colleagues sought to separate the feelings of sadness from those of empathy among the subjects in order to assess the reliability of the findings of the former experiments […]
• Altruism and social behavior This shows altruism is not only beneficial to the recipients of the meritorious deeds but also to the doers of the deeds.
• An Anonymous Act of Kindness When speaking about the relation of altruism to psychology, it is necessary to state that altruism is considered to be the issue of social psychology.
• “Selfless Gene” by Olivia Judson and Reasons for Altruism Once people realize that the biology and social life of another race is the same, they tend to be more understanding and kind.
• The Role of Compassion While Anne Fadiman’s this book seems to be primarily related to the impact of linguistic and cultural barriers on the experiences of immigrants, Amy Tan’s essay suggests that their difficulties can be explained primarily by […]
• Happy People Become Happier through Kindness: A Counting Kindnesses Intervention
• How Kindness Shapes One’s Destiny in Million Dollar Baby
• How Patience Can Be Considered An Act Of Kindness
• Important to Treat Patients with Kindness and Respect
• Introspection in A Complicated Kindness and The Catcher in the Rye
• Jacqueline Woodson’s Lovely Letter to Children About Kindness, Presence, and How Books Transform Us
• Job’s Suffering Not Befitting His Kindness and Compassion
• Larry and Friends: An Illustrated Ode to Immigration, Diversity, Otherness, and Kindness
• Love, Kindness, and the Song of the Universe: The Night Jack Kerouac Kept a Young Woman from Taking Her Own Life
• Marcus Aurelius on What His Father Taught Him About Humility, Honor, Kindness, and Integrity
• Muslim Muslims And Muslim People With Kindness And Love Essay
• People Can Still Show Kindness Despite all the Evil Out There Essay
• Portrayal Of The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment On Kindness
• Positive Interventions: Happiness Attained from Acts of Kindness and Gratitude
• Revealing of the True Identity in Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews and Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
• Revisiting Kindness and Confusion in Public Goods Experiments
• Roland: A Charming Vintage Illustrated Ode to the Imagination and the Animating Power of Kindness
• Secular Views on the Concept of Kindness
• Self-Indulgence or Kindness as the Keys to Happiness and a Better Life
• Self-Scrutiny Applied with Kindness: Epictetus’s Enduring Wisdom on Happiness and How Philosophy Helps Us Answer the Soul’s Cry
• Shakespeare: Portia’s Kindness Out Shines
• The Disabled With The Utmost Kindness And Compassion
• The Effect Of Kindness During The Iranian Revolution
• The Effect Of Random Acts Of Kindness, And Social Responsibility
• The Essence of Life: Kindness
• The Farmer and the Clown: A Warm Wordless Story about an Unlikely Friendship and How We Ennoble Each Other with Kindness
• The Huge Impact of the Small Acts of Kindness in Mawi Asgedom’s Memoir of Beetles
• The Importance of Kindness and Thankfulness in The Rihla Essay
• The Importance of Showing Kindness Through Acts
• The Importance of the Qualities of Shredders, Adaptability and Basic Human Kindness in Mark Twain’s Novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• The Injustice of Reality: Social Messages in Gilman’s “Wedded Bliss” and Plath’s “Kindness”
• The Issue Of Identity Change In The Novels “Mister Pip” By Lloyd Jones And “A Complicated Kindness” By Miriam Toews
• The Kindness of Strangers? An Investigation into the Interaction of Funder Motivations in Online Crowdfunding Campaigns
• The Kindness of Strangers: The Usefulness of Electronic Weak Ties for Technical Advice
• The Lion and the Mouse who Returned a Kindness
• Themes of a Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
• The Semblance of Selflessness: The Ingenuity of Kindness in As I Lay Dying
• The Theme of Kindness in The Grapes of Wrath, a Novel by John Steinbeck
• The Toil of Good and Evil: Multi-Faceted Kindness in The Book Thief
• The Value Of Kindness In Bhakti According To Vyasa’s The Bhagavad Gita
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Be Kinder to Yourself

• Alice Boyes

How to steer your inner monologue toward compassion.

Talking to yourself with self-compassion will help you deal with a raft of challenging situations, including those you experience personally and those you need to help your employees or kids through. To use it effectively, follow these practices to build specific, personalized habits of self-compassionate talk: give yourself a gentle and supportive nudge by asking yourself what you need in the moment; use irreverence to challenge your beliefs; reframe a trait or tendency to take a more balanced view; identify your patterns of self-sabotage; borrow language from friends, quotes, or proverbs; and write scripts for common scenarios.

Often, we’re our own worst critic. When we feel anxious or frustrated, we talk to ourselves more harshly than we’d find acceptable by anyone else. I blew that presentation. Everyone on my team has such strong technical skills; I can’t follow the conversation. My kiddo is going to be so mad at me for working late again. We wrongly assume that criticism will motivate us to do better. We become even more of a perfectionist than usual. Instead of talking to ourselves with self-compassion, we raise our standards for our behavior as a defense against our feelings of doubt, anxiety, or frustration.

• Alice Boyes , PhD is a former clinical psychologist turned writer and the author of The Healthy Mind Toolkit , The Anxiety Toolkit , and Stress-Free Productivity .

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How Kindness Fits Into a Happy Life

We all know that it’s good to be kind to others. Kindness is an important virtue for sustaining relationships, which helps to build a trusting and cooperative society.

You may have also heard that kindness makes you happier and healthier. But what does that mean for you? What acts of kindness will make us happiest, and who tends to benefit the most?

A newly published review of decades of kindness research provides some answers.

In this paper, researchers analyzed the results from 126 research articles looking at almost 200,000 participants from around the world. The studies they chose all had to meet certain criteria, such as including only adults and reporting good statistical data; some were experiments, where people did a kindness practice to observe its effects, while others just surveyed people about how kind and happy they were. The studies measured well-being in a variety of ways, including both mental and physical health.

As expected, people who were kind tended to have higher well-being. Lead researcher Bryant Hui was surprised the relationship was not stronger than it was, but he was still encouraged by the results.

“Although the overall relationship between prosocial (kind and helpful) behavior and well-being is weak, given that so many people around the world act prosocially, the modest effect can still have a significant impact at a societal level,” he says.

A small effect like this—an average of all the participants’ experiences—can sometimes hide other patterns going on below the surface. So, he and his colleagues considered when kindness might have a bigger impact on our well-being.

One thing they found was that people who performed random, informal acts of kindness, like bringing a meal to a grieving friend, tended to be happier than people who performed more formal acts of kindness, like volunteering in a soup kitchen. It’s possible that informal helping may fill our more basic psychological needs for autonomy and close relationships, which is why it could lead to greater happiness.

The researchers also found that people who were kind tended to be higher in “eudaimonic happiness” (a sense of meaning and purpose in life) more than “hedonic happiness” (a sense of pleasure and comfort). Perhaps this makes sense, given that being kind involves effort, which takes away from comfort but could make people feel better about themselves and their abilities, which would provide a sense of meaning.

Being kind came with greater eudaimonic happiness for women than for men, too. According to Hui, this could be because, in many cultures, women are expected to be kinder than men; so, they may have more to gain from it. And younger participants experienced more happiness when they were kind than older participants, perhaps for developmental reasons, he says. Younger adults are at a stage of life where they tend to be figuring out their identity and actively seeking the purpose and meaning in life that kindness can bring, less so than pleasure and comfort.

What other, specific benefits might kindness have? The researchers found that people who were kind tended to have higher self-esteem and a sense of self-efficacy. To a lesser degree, they also experienced less depression and anxiety and improved physical health—with the links to health being strongest in older adults.

Hui doesn’t know for sure why acting kind might have these different effects on different groups, but he points to theories put forth by researcher Elizabeth Midlarsky : Being kind may make us feel better about ourselves as a person or about the meaning of our lives, confirm our self-competence, distract us from our own troubles and stressors, give us a warm-glow feeling, or help us be more socially connected with others. All of these could potentially improve our well-being—reducing our stress, improving our mood, or providing community—and they could hold more importance at different stages of life, too.

By understanding the connection between kindness and well-being, Hui thinks researchers can design better studies that take into account all of the relevant factors, and innovators could create more effective kindness practices. In the future, he hopes there will be kindness apps or online programs that could reach more people, generating a larger impact around the world.

In the meantime, Hui says, the biggest take-home from his research is something he heard the Dalai Lama say long ago: “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

“Helping others is a universal virtue and a very affordable and economic way to benefit others’ and our own well-being,” he says. “As the saying goes, helping others is helping yourself.”

About the Author

Jill Suttie

Jill Suttie, Psy.D. , is Greater Good ’s former book review editor and now serves as a staff writer and contributing editor for the magazine. She received her doctorate of psychology from the University of San Francisco in 1998 and was a psychologist in private practice before coming to Greater Good .

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Kindness Essay | Essay on Kindness for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Essay on Kindness: The world has been devastated by two world wars, recurring bouts of disease and devastation. Amid such tremendous hardship, human beings have depicted resilience and kindness to fight back and help each other. Kindness is an essential and universal quality that is based on the concepts of altruism and prosocial behavior.

Kindness towards Nature, animals, and other people can transform the world and make it a beautiful place to live. However, kindness towards yourself is also crucial in the journey of personal growth and achievement. We have provided essays below from where students can learn.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Long and Short Essays on Kindness for Students and Kids in English

A Long essay has been provided below; it is of 450-500 words. A short Essay of 100-150 words has also been given. 10 lines on kindness have also been written down, along with some answers to frequently asked questions.

Long Essay on Kindness 500 words in English

Kindness essay will be helpful to students of classes 7, 8, 9 and 10.

Kindness can be described as the value of being polite, compassionate, and thoughtful. Unconditional love, tenderness, comfort, concern, and support are words associated with kindness. Although kindness has an undertone that someone is innocent or vulnerable, that’s not the case. Being compassionate also calls for bravery and determination. Compassion is an interactive ability.

People have heard about the survival of the fittest theory given by evolutionary theorists. Darwin, who researched human Nature, did not necessarily perceive humans as being physically aggressive and self-interested. Darwin claimed that we’re a fundamentally collaborative and loving community. He asserted that affection and compassion for others is natural and reflexive.

Kindness is taught in every religious faith. Be it Hinduism, Sikhism, or Islamic law or some other religion, they all prepare us to show compassion towards others. The term is not limited to human application. Cruelty to all living creatures is a sin in many religious scriptures. Even the deaf animals raise their tail as a reciprocal response of compassion expressed towards them. Trees show similar reactions. They grow large and produce fruit in response to the kind behavior of their caregivers. Nature has its way of communicating appreciation and compassion.

Kindness is not a core value to be embraced or shown in particular situations. Instead, it should be absorbed as the fundamental behavioral element of living creatures. Compassion is not only a moral attribute. But in all aspects of existence, it can be quite well adapted. Being compassionate to your parents or friends helps create a stable family base.

Showing courtesy to friends and neighbors tends to create a healthy social climate. Only small considerations and selfless acts of kindness can help to build up a successful company. As has been said previously, every human person knows the language of compassion.

While important, kindness is not a characteristic that is widely seen in people these days. In today’s time, people have become incredibly self-absorbed. All they can talk about is themselves. Growing rivalry at various points of our lives is one of the most important reasons people turn out to be this way.

Everyone around here is busy making themselves successful and showing the world how better their lives are compared to others’ lives. They don’t hesitate to offend those in their way to reach everything they want. Though there’s nothing wrong with innovating, you have to realize that there’s a lot more to life, so it’s not just about competition and winning.

Presently, although most people don’t have the trait of compassion, it can be integrated into them with a slight endeavor. This can be achieved by explaining the value of it from the very start. Workshops must be held, and presentations must be provided to teach students why it is necessary to be kind to human beings. This topic must be an integral part of the curriculum in schools. It is important to stress its significance from the very beginning so that citizens can appreciate and teach it.

Short Essay on the Topic of Kindness 150 words

Kindness Essay is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

An individual with a generous temperament and respect towards everyone is considered to be kind. These individuals are compassionate to others. They support others around them if there is a need, and they never fail to go out of their way to put joy on the face of others.

Kindness could be something as tiny as being courteous and providing someone support and encouragement. It could be something as surprisingly small as passing a kind word to the maidservant who works tirelessly in your house or giving a little bit of food to the stray dog who comes near the house every day. These gestures of kindness don’t take a lot of time, but they can create a change. Acts of kindness can help in creating a beautiful and sustainable world.

10 lines on Kindness Essay in English

• Kindness involves being empathetic and considerate towards others.
• Kindness should be shown towards Nature as well as animals.
• Kindness should not be dictated by class conformities, caste, or divided by the community’s social structures.
• Kindness can bring about significant changes in the world.
• Kindness is an essential personal quality required for thriving relationships and a happy life.
• Kindness involves self-care and concern about yourself as well.
• There can be various means like emotional or tangible support, by which you can show kindness.
• Kindness is premised on the concept of altruism and prosocial actions.
• Being kind usually involves reciprocity. If you are kind to others, they, in turn, will be helpful to you.
• Kindness helps in sustaining a peaceful and nourishing world.

FAQ’s on Kindness Essay

Question 1. How can you be kind to others?

Answer: Kindness can be anything as small as giving a radiant smile to a person to providing monetary help to build houses and schools for the poor.

Question 2. Why is kindness extraordinary?

Answer: Kindness is essential to create a peaceful world and support future generations of the human race.

Question 3. What will happen in a world devoid of kindness?

Answer: In a world devoid of kindness, the carefully balanced systems in which we live, and our relations with the natural and animal world will break down, leading to hardship and troubles for humanity.

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How to Write About Yourself in a College Essay | Examples

Published on September 21, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on May 31, 2023.

An insightful college admissions essay requires deep self-reflection, authenticity, and a balance between confidence and vulnerability. Your essay shouldn’t just be a resume of your experiences; colleges are looking for a story that demonstrates your most important values and qualities.

To write about your achievements and qualities without sounding arrogant, use specific stories to illustrate them. You can also write about challenges you’ve faced or mistakes you’ve made to show vulnerability and personal growth.

Table of contents

Start with self-reflection, how to write about challenges and mistakes, how to write about your achievements and qualities, how to write about a cliché experience, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Before you start writing, spend some time reflecting to identify your values and qualities. You should do a comprehensive brainstorming session, but here are a few questions to get you started:

• What are three words your friends or family would use to describe you, and why would they choose them?
• Whom do you admire most and why?
• What are the top five things you are thankful for?
• What has inspired your hobbies or future goals?
• What are you most proud of? Ashamed of?

As you self-reflect, consider how your values and goals reflect your prospective university’s program and culture, and brainstorm stories that demonstrate the fit between the two.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Writing about difficult experiences can be an effective way to show authenticity and create an emotional connection to the reader, but choose carefully which details to share, and aim to demonstrate how the experience helped you learn and grow.

Be vulnerable

It’s not necessary to have a tragic story or a huge confession. But you should openly share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences to evoke an emotional response from the reader. Even a cliché or mundane topic can be made interesting with honest reflection. This honesty is a preface to self-reflection and insight in the essay’s conclusion.

Don’t overshare

With difficult topics, you shouldn’t focus too much on negative aspects. Instead, use your challenging circumstances as a brief introduction to how you responded positively.

Share what you have learned

It’s okay to include your failure or mistakes in your essay if you include a lesson learned. After telling a descriptive, honest story, you should explain what you learned and how you applied it to your life.

While it’s good to sell your strengths, you also don’t want to come across as arrogant. Instead of just stating your extracurricular activities, achievements, or personal qualities, aim to discreetly incorporate them into your story.

Brag indirectly

Mention your extracurricular activities or awards in passing, not outright, to avoid sounding like you’re bragging from a resume.

Use stories to prove your qualities

Even if you don’t have any impressive academic achievements or extracurriculars, you can still demonstrate your academic or personal character. But you should use personal examples to provide proof. In other words, show evidence of your character instead of just telling.

Many high school students write about common topics such as sports, volunteer work, or their family. Your essay topic doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, but do try to include unexpected personal details and your authentic voice to make your essay stand out .

To find an original angle, try these techniques:

• Focus on a specific moment, and describe the scene using your five senses.
• Mention objects that have special significance to you.
• Instead of following a common story arc, include a surprising twist or insight.

Your unique voice can shed new perspective on a common human experience while also revealing your personality. When read out loud, the essay should sound like you are talking.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

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First, spend time reflecting on your core values and character . You can start with these questions:

However, you should do a comprehensive brainstorming session to fully understand your values. Also consider how your values and goals match your prospective university’s program and culture. Then, brainstorm stories that illustrate the fit between the two.

When writing about yourself , including difficult experiences or failures can be a great way to show vulnerability and authenticity, but be careful not to overshare, and focus on showing how you matured from the experience.

Through specific stories, you can weave your achievements and qualities into your essay so that it doesn’t seem like you’re bragging from a resume.

Include specific, personal details and use your authentic voice to shed a new perspective on a common human experience.

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If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Courault, K. (2023, May 31). How to Write About Yourself in a College Essay | Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 26, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/college-essay/write-about-yourself/

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15 Ways to Be Kind to Yourself (Especially When Feeling Down)

You may be having a difficult day or a difficult week. It can feel like an uphill climb to get out of that emotional and mental rut and be kind to yourself, but there are, fortunately, many tools at our disposal for resetting our attitude. When we show ourselves kindness, we start to create new habit patterns and neuron pathways in the brain [1] . These new “mentalities” take us from seeing everything as negative and grim to joyful, positive, and full of opportunity.

We understand kindness from the perspective of how we treat our family and friends. What if we were to take that same approach to how we treat ourselves? How would our health improve if we listened to our body’s signals and responded with care and compassion? These are profound questions to ask. While having a bad day and feeling down is another part of life, we can start to implement tools into our routine that grow our self-compassion muscle even more.

1. Forgive Yourself Often

This may be the best and hardest tool to implement in your life, but it is so potent! We are so hard on ourselves, and we are often our own worst critic. We can easily forgive our friends and family, but we have a harder time taking that forgiveness within.

Today, practice self-forgiveness . When you get caught up in self-blame, pause and think about how you would react to the same situation with a friend. Often, we need the same kind of forgiveness. At the end of the day, we’re doing the best that we can. When we know better, we can do better. In the meantime, forgiveness is key.

2. Write Yourself a Love Letter

This is a simple yet precious way of writing your thoughts and feelings down on a piece of paper. If you really want to add a touch of extra love and be kind to yourself, pull out your fanciest stationary [2] ! If you’re having a hard time with writing, imagine you’re writing to your younger self. What would you want to say? Often, it’s words of encouragement.

We hold a lot of compassion for ourselves in hindsight, after life has tested and blessed us. Writing love letters offers us perspective in which to find gratitude! If you want, you can also mail it to yourself, or save it and open it in a few months or even years.

3. Take Care of Your Physical Health

This may look like going out for a walk every day in your neighborhood or favorite park; it may also look like taking a yoga class on a Saturday morning, or joining a favorite gym or fitness club.

When we’re feeling down, our physical body hangs on to all of that pent-up energy and emotion. We need to clear that energy in order to maintain physical health, as well as emotional and mental health [3] . Whatever you choose is up to you! Just make sure it feels good and you’re having fun while you’re at it.

4. Nourish and Treat Yourself

This may look like taking yourself out to dinner or cooking a delicious meal for yourself at home! Often, in times of despair, one of the first things that starts to lack is our nutrition. We either don’t eat enough or we overeat, and never the right kinds of food.

Schedule a time on your calendar for treating yourself! It may be ordering food from your favorite restaurant, or spoiling yourself with something that you would never order regularly. Whatever it is, make sure it feels special, something out of the ordinary, and bonus points if it’s healthy!

5. Seek out a Therapist

When it comes to emotional and mental health, seeking out professional health is a major win and a great way to be kind to yourself. We can’t always help ourselves. We need someone to hold space for us, listen and hear us out, and offer perspectives that we wouldn’t have on our own [4] . There is no shame in asking for help.

Therapists will often challenge you to confront the way you think about various situations and experiences, so if you have a problem with negative thinking, therapy can be particularly useful. Just make sure you’re ready to go into it with an open mind and lots of self-compassion.

6. Buy Yourself Flowers

This may seem like a cliché approach to self-kindness, but think about the last time you bought flowers for yourself. How long has it really been? There is great power in treating yourself in the same manner as you would treat someone you loved.

Small gestures, such as buying yourself flowers, are breadcrumbs towards those new habit patterns. When put together, they create a new outlook of joy, happiness, peace, and contentment. To go a step further, take yourself out on a date! You may be surprised how much you enjoy your own company.

7. When You’re in a Rut, Ask Questions

We reflexively jump to outside stimuli when we’re facing a challenge or are in a rut. You may turn to food, drugs, or alcohol; or you may keep yourself mindlessly busy, distracted, or running headfirst into emotional restlessness and poor decisions.

Instead, we can ask ourselves questions to start to dig deeper into our current situation. For example, asking “What do I need right now?” can be a powerful moment of introspection. It not only brings us back to the present, but it also cuts through the noise of mental and emotional chatter.

8. Surround Yourself with Like-Minded People

Our loved ones have a beautiful way of pulling you out of your own funk when you don’t know how to be kind to yourself. Just by being around other people, our energy can lift and shift in ways that promote a new, fresh start to our day. Make sure you find friends who will be patient with you and make space for you to be heard and loved. If you feel like your friends aren’t capable of this, it may be the moment to limit the amount of time you spend with them. Remember to surround yourself with people who can lift you up versus people who can only bring you down!

9. Hydrate!

This also may seem like a simple tool, but it is an incredibly important one! Just like food, hydration is also something we toss to the back burner when we’re feeling down. It just doesn’t seem to be that important until we have a headache and don’t know where it’s coming from.

Drinking water not only regulates our body’s innate functioning systems, but it also heavily impacts our mood [5] . Remember to stick to water and avoid high-sugar drinks, such as sodas. If you’re not sure, water is your best bet!

10. Have a “Self-Care” Day

This doesn’t have to be fancy. You can draw yourself a bath, have a picnic outside, or choose to snuggle in for a movie night. A “Self-Care” day is all about being present with yourself and enjoying the little things with more appreciation. There are many ways of enjoying the day that won’t cost you a lot of money, and all with tools already at your disposal in your home or community.

11. Make Time for Meditation

This is a wonderful practice of tuning into your mental state and works to teach you how to be kind to yourself. With so many meditation applications out there, you can find teacher-guided sessions or timers with gentle background music to ease you into meditation. Meditation teachers often say that all of our answers reside within us, so starting this practice in a time when we’re struggling can provide powerful insight.

12. Give Yourself Recognition

There are many successes we simply don’t take the time to celebrate. Instead, we wait for others to celebrate or recognize our accomplishments. Today, think about something you’d like to be recognized for. It could be a project you’ve been working on or something you’ve devoted time and effort to in your life. Then, celebrate it!

Share it with your friends and family, and give yourself a pat on the back! Another fun way of giving yourself recognition is to create a “Brag Bucket.” Each time you accomplish something, drop a note with what you did. At the end of the year, take a look at everything you’ve done and celebrate yourself!

13. Give Yourself a Massage

We already mentioned how the body holds on to emotional and mental baggage. This can show up in tension, tightness, aches, or pains. While it is certainly rewarding to go get a massage, you can also give yourself one. Ayurveda, the sister science of Yoga, highlights a particularly healing massage practice called abhyanga, which is an oil massage that you can do from the comfort of your own home [6] .

14. Stop Tolerating What/Who Doesn’t Serve You Well

Sometimes practicing self-kindness is about cutting the cords of what no longer brings you joy in life. This may be an idea, routine, or a person. It’s OK to walk away from something that brings you down. When you can let go and distance yourself in such a way, more space opens up for you to fill that void with what actually makes you happy!

15. Rest and Recharge

We live in a society that worships productivity. While that may be needed in some instances, it also creates the assumption that a lack of productivity makes you worth less as an employee and a person and makes it very difficult to find time to be kind to yourself. We need to get back to the flow of nature, which shows us that while much may not be going on, life is still thriving and growing. Likewise, so are we.

We are not designed to thrive in a “grind” society. We don’t always need to work, move, create, and do. More often than not, we need rest ! We need to simply be, and we need to know that this is more than OK.

Final Thoughts

We all have days where we feel down and out. In these moments, we can either wallow in our despair and let it consume us, or we can practice simple yet effective tools to nourish ourselves. At the core of self-kindness and compassion is the fact that we’re all just doing our very best, day in and day out. As the old Buddhist saying goes, “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserves your love and affection.”

More on How to Be Kind to Yourself

• The 5-Step Guide to Self Care for Busy People
• 30 Ways To Practice Self-Love And Be Good To Yourself
• 15 Ways to Practice Positive Self-Talk for Success

Featured photo credit: Elly Johnson via unsplash.com

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112 Kindness Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Kindness is a virtue that is often overlooked in today's fast-paced and competitive world. However, acts of kindness can have a profound impact on both the giver and the receiver. Whether it's a small gesture like holding the door open for someone or a larger act of generosity like donating to a charity, kindness has the power to spread positivity and make the world a better place.

If you're looking for inspiration to write an essay on kindness, here are 112 topic ideas and examples to help you get started:

• The importance of kindness in a world filled with negativity
• How small acts of kindness can make a big difference
• The benefits of practicing kindness for both the giver and the receiver
• Kindness as a form of self-care and self-love
• Examples of kindness in everyday life
• The impact of random acts of kindness on society
• How kindness can create a ripple effect of positivity
• Kindness as a way to build strong relationships and communities
• The role of kindness in promoting mental health and well-being
• How kindness can combat feelings of loneliness and isolation
• The connection between kindness and empathy
• The importance of teaching kindness to children
• How kindness can break down barriers and promote understanding between people from different backgrounds
• The power of forgiveness as an act of kindness
• Kindness as a form of activism and social change
• The relationship between kindness and gratitude
• How acts of kindness can inspire others to pay it forward
• Kindness as a way to combat bullying and promote a culture of respect
• The role of kindness in promoting a sense of belonging and inclusion
• Kindness as a way to combat hate and discrimination
• The link between kindness and emotional intelligence
• The impact of kindness on physical health and well-being
• How kindness can improve workplace culture and productivity
• Kindness as a way to build trust and loyalty in relationships
• The connection between kindness and resilience in the face of adversity
• Examples of kindness in literature and popular culture
• The relationship between kindness and altruism
• How kindness can promote a sense of purpose and fulfillment
• The impact of kindness on the environment and sustainability
• How kindness can promote peace and conflict resolution
• The role of kindness in promoting social justice and equality
• Kindness as a way to build strong communities and support networks
• The connection between kindness and emotional intelligence
• The relationship between kindness and altruism.

In conclusion, kindness is a powerful force that has the ability to transform individuals, communities, and the world at large. By practicing kindness in our daily lives and spreading its message through essays and other forms of communication, we can create a more compassionate and empathetic society. So choose a topic from the list above, or come up with your own, and start writing about the importance of kindness today.

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Essay on Kindness

Students are often asked to write an essay on Kindness in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Kindness

Understanding kindness.

Kindness means being friendly, generous, and considerate. It involves actions and words that show care towards others.

Why is Kindness Important?

Kindness helps to build a sense of community and warmth. It makes people feel valued and loved.

Examples of Kindness

Kindness can be as simple as sharing your lunch with someone who forgot theirs or helping a friend with homework.

Impact of Kindness

Kindness can change a person’s day or even their life. It promotes happiness and positivity.

Also check:

250 Words Essay on Kindness

Introduction.

Kindness, a simple yet profound virtue, is the act of expressing genuine concern for the well-being of others. It is a universal language that transcends geographical borders, cultures, religions, and social strata.

The Essence of Kindness

Kindness is not merely an act, but a lifestyle – a commitment to creating a positive impact on others’ lives. It is often misconstrued as a sign of weakness when, in fact, it requires immense strength and selflessness. The act of kindness is a testament to the human capacity for empathy, compassion, and benevolence.

The Power of Kindness

Kindness holds the power to transform lives. It can alleviate suffering, instill hope, and foster unity. It has the potential to bridge the chasm between individuals, communities, and nations, fostering a sense of shared humanity. Acts of kindness, no matter how small, can start a chain reaction, influencing others to act kindly in turn.

Kindness in Practice

Practicing kindness does not necessarily entail grand gestures. It can be as simple as lending a listening ear, offering a word of encouragement, or helping someone in need. It is about recognizing the intrinsic worth of every individual and treating them with dignity and respect.

500 Words Essay on Kindness

Kindness, an integral human virtue, is often overlooked in our fast-paced, self-centered world. It is a quality that signifies benevolence, consideration, and empathy towards others. It is not just an ethical principle or a moral duty, but a fundamental aspect of human interaction that bridges gaps and fosters unity.

Kindness, in essence, is an act of understanding and accepting others without judgment. It’s about recognizing the inherent worth of every individual, irrespective of their status, background, or beliefs. It is an extension of love, compassion, and respect towards others. Kindness is not merely about grand gestures; it is often reflected in the simplest of acts such as a comforting word, a helping hand, or a genuine smile.

Kindness and Society

Kindness and personal growth, the ripple effect of kindness.

Kindness begets kindness. It has a ripple effect that extends far beyond the initial act. A single act of kindness can inspire others to do the same, creating a cycle of positive actions. This ripple effect can reach far and wide, touching countless lives and making a significant impact. The beauty of kindness is that it costs nothing but has immense value for both the giver and the receiver.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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✍️Essay on Kindness: Samples in 100, 150 and 200 Words

• Updated on  
• Nov 2, 2023

Research says that being kind to someone or vice versa can positively rewire your brain. Kindness is when one is generous to another person. Well, in today’s world, it is very difficult. We can hardly find anyone. Do you wish to bring a change in your lifestyle ? Well, you have come to the right place. Today, we will be talking about kindness in depth. Here, in this article, we have compiled several sample essays on kindness which describe this topic in depth. 

Table of Contents

• 1 Importance of Kindness
• 2 Essay on Kindness in 100 Words
• 3 Essay on Kindness in 150 Words
• 4 Essay on Kindness in 200 Words

Importance of Kindness

Kindness is an effortless yet powerful gesture which put a very positive impact on someone’s life. In the academic community, this gesture is seen as an attitude that can create a huge impact on one’s achievement. 

Speaking in a bit of a medical language, being kind to someone boosts serotonin and dopamine. These brain chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, are what light up your reward and pleasure centres and give you a sense of fulfilment.

This doesn’t end here. Kindness has been shown to have cardioprotective effects. It can lower blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn affects stress levels. 

Speaking of which, here, we have compiled an essay on kindness which will provide you with more information on this topic. Let’s dive in. 

Also Read: Essay on the Importance of the English Language for Students

Essay on Kindness in 100 Words

Being kind is a basic virtue which is very important for humankind to create a world that is more peaceful and compassionate. It is one of the most straightforward acts which can be shown by anyone to others without expecting anything in return. When it comes to showing kindness, there are many ways by which one can show it. These include opening doors for others giving your time to support a good cause or simply being with them during their hard times. 

Always remember that even showing a tiny act of kindness can create a huge impact in someone’s life or simply make their day better. 

Also Read: Essay on Save Environment: Samples in 100, 200, 300 Words

Essay on Kindness in 150 Words

Kindness is a feeling of being generous, friendly and considerate. In a world full of hatred and cruelty, kindness is what one can spread. You never know whom you might someone from a having bad day. One can simply start spreading kindness in the community they are living in. 

One of the best examples to describe the word kindness would be Mother Teresa . She devoted her entire life to caring for the destitute and dying in the slums of Calcutta (Kolkata). She is considered to be one of the greatest humanitarians the world has ever produced.

Speaking of kindness, doing little things such as opening a door for someone. Helping an elderly person cross the street, or holding things of someone are some basic things which can be done.

To conclude, kindness is contagious. It can spread like wildfire. Therefore, in a world where there is so much hatred, and cruelty, where people are fighting. One can be kind which will provoke others to do the same. 

Also Read: Essay on Unity in Diversity in 100 to 200 Words

Essay on Kindness in 200 Words

Kindness is one of the most important qualities which people should have. This is very important to create a more compassionate and harmonious world. The simple act of being considerate towards others and not expecting anything in return is kindness. The word ‘kindness’ can be expressed in many different ways. From helping someone during tough times to helping an old lady cross the street is what best describes this word. 

Other than this, kindness is also beneficial for our well-being. Studies show that people who are kind to people around them tend to be more happy than others. This is because of the endorphins which are released. They contribute towards mood-boosting and pain-relieving effects. Not only this, kindness has also proved to have reduced stress levels and improved cardiovascular health.

To conclude, I would like to leave you all with a thought. In today’s times, we hardly come across kind people. Consider ourselves, we may feel for others around us going through the bad phase but how often do we reach out and assist them? It is our responsibility to nurture kindness in ourselves before we can ask others to do the same for us.

Related Articles 

We hope after reading some of these essays on kindness, your perspective on kindness would have changed. Always remember, everyone is fighting their own battles, so the best you can do is be a little kind and bring a smile to their face. Signing off!

There are certain advantages to our happiness and general well-being for those of us who are kind and caring. Perhaps we will live longer. Additionally, kindness lowers stress and enhances mental health.

These expressions describe persons who are kind, considerate, and considerate of others’ feelings.

Kindness belongs to the human virtue category and is one of the 24 universal character strengths.

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay-writing page and follow Leverage Edu ! 

Malvika Chawla

Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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Header menu - drawer | united kingdom, kindness matters guide.

We're all familiar with the saying “it's better to give than receive”. What might surprise you is that this is actually backed up by research.

Those of us who are kind and compassionate experience clear benefits to our well-being and happiness. We may even live longer. Kindness also helps reduce stress and improve our emotional well-being. 1,2

We all have so much going on in our lives - competing strains and stresses – not to mention the recent coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns. This has sometimes pushed kindness to one side, in favour of what is urgent now.

It can be easy to show kindness when posting online, but when it comes to reality it's harder to commit to kindness in our real-life words and actions.

By taking the time to be kind to others, we can benefit from emotional upsides. It really does make a difference, especially for people who are vulnerable or struggling.

With everything that's going on in the world, now is the time to help make a kinder society that improves our mental health.

Kindness should be built into business decisions, government policy, and other official systems in a way that supports everyone’s mental health and also reduces discrimination and inequality. That can start with individual commitments to showing kindness in our words and our actions.

This guide is written to demonstrate the positive effect that helping others can have on your own mental health, including some suggestions that will inspire you.

Take a few minutes, have a read, and think about doing something kind for a friend or a stranger today.

Mark Rowland, CEO of the Mental Health Foundation

What do we mean by kindness? 

Kindness is choosing to do something that helps others or yourself, motivated by genuine warm feelings. 

Kindness, or doing good, often means putting other people’s needs before our own. It could be by giving up our seat on a bus to someone who might need it more, or offering to make a cup of tea for someone at work.

Evidence shows that helping others can also benefit our own mental health and wellbeing. For example, it can reduce stress  as well as improve mood, self-esteem and happiness. 1–3 

There are so many ways to help others as part of our everyday lives. Good deeds needn’t take much time or cost any money.

Small changes can make a big difference. 

This guide gives you tips on how to bring kindness into your life. 

We will look in more detail at:  

• Volunteering 
• Doing something for a good cause 
• Acts of kindness 

What are the health benefits of kindness?

Helping others feels good.

Studies have found that acts of kindness are linked to increased feelings of well-being. 1  Helping others can also improve our support networks and encourage us to be more active. 4  This, in turn, can improve our self-esteem. 5  There is some evidence to suggest that when we help others, it can promote changes in the brain that are linked with happiness. 2

It creates a sense of belonging and reduces isolation

Helping others is thought to be one of the ways that people create, maintain, and strengthen their social connections. 

For example, volunteering and helping others can help us feel a sense of belonging, make new friends, and connect with our communities. 5,6

Face-to-face activities such as volunteering at a food bank can also help reduce loneliness and isolation. 6 

It helps to keep things in perspective

Many people don’t realise the impact a different perspective can have on their outlook on life.  

There is some evidence that being aware of our own acts of kindness, as well as the things we are grateful for, can increase feelings of happiness, optimism and satisfaction. 7,8     

Doing good may help you to have a more positive outlook about your own circumstances.

It helps to make the world a happier place – one act of kindness can often lead to more!

Acts of kindness can make the world a happier place for everyone. They can boost feelings of confidence, being in control, happiness and optimism. 8

They may also encourage others to repeat the good deeds they’ve experienced themselves – contributing to a more positive community. 9

The more you do for others, the more you do for yourself

The benefits of helping others can last long after the act itself, for those who offer kindness, and those who benefit. This, in turn, can improve our self-esteem. 5

Tips to remember before you start

Do something you enjoy.

At times like this we are learning to adapt to the requirements needed to prevent the spread of coronavirus. As a result we have had to rethink the way we do our hobbies, and pursue our interests.    

You might have treated a friend to a trip to the cinema or for dinner, but today, you can watch something on a streaming service and keep in touch by phone or gift them a takeaway instead. You could even gift a subscription to an entertainment service, magazine or drop off (safely) a simple care package.  

You can share your skills, such as offering to help with technology, sharing recipes, or sewing masks or scrubs for key workers. These are all great ways to bring your skills and interests to others.

Keep others in mind

Although acts of kindness for other people can make us feel good, we need to also keep in mind why we’re doing it – which is for their benefit, not ours.   

Part of being kind is considering the feelings of others, so it is very important that your kindness is something which others will find helpful. Kindness is something that needs to benefit both parties.  

See what you can do that others are not doing already. For example, if you want to donate to a foodbank, see what they need before buying things. If you want to support key workers, check that there is a need where you are. It may be that others in your community need help more urgently.

Don’t overdo it

It’s important to make sure we don’t overdo it!     

If we find we are giving too much of ourselves or have gone beyond our means, it’s probably time to take a step back. It’s very easy to give away all of our energy, especially if we are finding things hard ourselves and want to focus on others. Leave enough for you – kindness has to start with yourself.  

We recommend starting small, so we do not become overwhelmed or give more than we are financially able.  

Helping others doesn’t have to cost money or take a lot of time. It could start with calling a friend we haven’t spoken to in a while or donating a small amount of money monthly to a charity close to our heart and within our budget. 10 

Get involved with volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to help others and research shows that it benefits people of all ages, by increasing feelings of self-esteem, social connection, and well-being. 5

If you have friends or neighbours who are finding things difficult at the moment, see what you can do to help. 

If you have time, especially if you are furloughed from work, you could volunteer in your community if it’s safe for you to do so.

Here are some ideas about getting involved:

• Volunteer for a local community organisation
• Offer your expertise and support as a mentor for those who are struggling
• Check-in safely with a neighbour
• See if there’s anything you can do to support your children’s school or nursery – offer to read stories for example
• Involve your friends and neighbours in community projects
• Offer to skill-share with a friend - you could teach guitar, dance or a new recipe
• Call a friend that you haven’t spoken to for a while
• Tell a family member how much you love and appreciate them
• Offer a listening ear to someone who simply wants to talk

To find out more about volunteering opportunities, check out our suggested organisations at the end of this guide .

Do something for a good cause 

Getting involved with a cause that is close to your heart can be hugely beneficial for both the cause and your own sense of well-being. 4,10

For example, if you want to help protect the environment, you could get involved in a local tree-planting scheme. You could start by identifying a few local organisations to contact about how they can use volunteers.

There are lots of other ways you can get involved:

• Follow your chosen charity on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and join in the conversation
• Sign-up to receive your charity’s newsletter and keep up to date with the work they’re doing
• Plan a fundraising event in your local community or at work – you could try our Tea & Talk event, or a challenge event
• Raise money by taking part in a fun active challenge, such as a 5k run or walk in fancy dress, or maybe a themed sports day

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you have fun with it! We have lots of ways to  get involved  with the Mental Health Foundation.

You can [email protected] or call 020 7803 1121. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mentalhealthfoundation and Twitter @mentalhealth.

Acts of kindness

Acts of kindness have the potential to make the world a happier place. 1,7,8

We want to see a world where kindness is built into business decisions, government policy and official systems. However, we can start by individual commitment to showing kindness in our words and our actions. 

You might want to do something for someone else or take note if you experience an act of kindness.

Not sure where to start? We’ve put together some suggestions to help you out...

At home and in your community

• Call a friend who you haven’t spoken to for a while
• Post a card or letter to someone you've been out of touch with
• Send flowers to a friend, out of the blue
• Find out if a neighbour needs any help with shopping
• Ring someone who is on their own
• Send someone a handwritten thank you note
• Tell your family how much you love and appreciate them
• Help with household chores
• Offer to help an elderly or vulnerable neighbour
• Check on someone you know who is going through a tough time
• Remember to say "hi" to colleagues and ask how they are – whether that’s face-to-face, or virtually if you are working from home
• Offer to support colleagues who may not be familiar with videoconferencing or new software that you have already used
• Set up a coffee or lunch club – with your regular colleagues and with new ones
• Have a conversation with a colleague you don’t normally talk with
• Get to know a new member of staff – it is hard to join a new workplace
• Lend your ear – listen to your colleague who is having a bad day
• Say thank you to a colleague who has helped you
• Praise a colleague for something they have done well

In public places

• Wish a passer-by a good morning or afternoon
• Be a considerate cyclist/driver
• Pick up some rubbish lying around in the street
• Smile and say hello to people you may pass every day, but have never spoken to before

On social media

• Take time to contact people you haven’t seen for a while
• Write something nice or encouraging on a post you appreciate
• Acknowledge and validate someone’s story – if they are having a difficult time you don’t have to have all the answers, sometimes a like or a brief ‘I’m sorry to hear this, is there something I can do?’ is enough to make them feel heard
• Think about what you share – look at the source of the post, and the tone. If it isn’t kind, think twice. If something could upset others and you feel you need to post it, use a trigger or content warning
• Think about your comments and replies. Try not to say nasty things, or pile on where somebody questions another person’s actions

Evidence shows that being kind really does improve your wellbeing 1

While we know that we don't do things for others for what we can get out of it, we also know that the more we do for others, the more they are likely to do for us. 11

With this in mind, try to help others once a day for a week and see if it makes a difference in how we feel.

You can take joy in being deliberately kind – whether by recognising the time you have for your kids or partner, speaking more to family or volunteering in your community.

Try to keep track of:

• any volunteering that you’ve done
• support you’ve given to friends and family
• any random acts of kindness that you’ve carried out
• what others have done for you.

Remember to make a note of how they made you feel. You could even keep a diary! Write down three things you are grateful for each day, or simply say these to yourself as the day draws to a close.

It’s important to be kind to yourself as well

Whatever you can manage today is good enough. Some people feel that the lockdown is giving them the time and chance to learn new skills or try new things. That may be you, and if so, enjoy and celebrate that.

If this isn’t you, don't beat yourself up about it. If things are hard for you right now, try and find some small things to celebrate each day. Getting up and washing your hair can be just as much of an achievement as someone else posting about a 5k run on Instagram.

Try to tune out the voice of judgement and comparison and tune in to the voice that says you are enough.

Be kind to yourself

• Prioritise some 'me' time, so you can relax and think about how you’re feeling and how your day or week has been so far
• Tune out of  your social media channels for a day, or even a week
• Treat yourself to something. It doesn't have to be a big thing. Remember, good things come in small packages
• Do something you enjoy, like listening to a favourite song or dancing in your kitchen
• Spend some time with nature. It's great for our mental health

Further information

Useful organisations.

Mental Health Foundation - Our vision is of good mental health for all. The Mental Health Foundation works to prevent mental health problems. We will drive change towards a mentally healthy society for all, and support communities, families and individuals to lead mentally healthy lives with a particular focus on those at greatest risk. The Foundation is the home of Mental Health Awareness Week.

Action for Happiness - Action for Happiness is a movement of people committed to building a happier society. They also run the International Day of Happiness.

Do-it - Volunteering made easy . Quickly find ways to help in your community by searching their online database of volunteering opportunities in your area.

Gov.uk - For general guidance about how to get involved in your community.

International Voluntary Service  - Links volunteers with charities and other organisations that could benefit from their time, skills and experience.

Kindness UK - Promoting, sharing and uniting kindness. Take part in the first-ever nationwide kindness survey.

Samaritans - Volunteers are at the heart of Samaritans’ 201 branches across the UK, delivering core services, running branches, fundraising and raising awareness of what they do.

Volunteer Development Scotland - Scotland’s Centre for Excellence in volunteering, VDS, leads the way in informing and modernising approaches to improve the quality of the volunteering experience for the people of Scotland.

Volunteering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Volunteering - committed to supporting, enabling and celebrating volunteering in all its diversity. Their work links policy, research, innovation, good practice and programme management in the involvement of volunteers.

• Volunteering England
• Volunteering Scotland
• Volunteering Wales
• Northern Ireland Volunteering

VSO - Put your skills, energy and personal qualities to work helping people break out of poverty.

The Wildlife and Wetlands Trust - The WWT is an international wildfowl and wetlands conversation charity in the UK.

WWF - The WWF is an international non-governmental organisation founded in 1961, working in the fields of wilderness protection, and the reduction of human impact on the environment.

1 Curry OS, Rowland LA, Van Lissa CJ, Zlotowitz S, McAlaney J, Whitehouse H. Happy to help? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of performing acts of kindness on the well-being of the actor. J Exp Soc Psychol. 2018;76:320–9.

2 Post S. It’s Good To Be Good: 2014 Biennial Scientific Report on Health, Happiness, Longevity, and Helping Others. Int J Pers Cent Med. 2014;2:1–53.

3 Jenkinson CE, Dickens AP, Jones K, Thompson-Coon J, Taylor RS, Rogers M, et al. Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers. BMC Public Health. 2013;13(1).

4 Pillemer K, Fuller-Rowell TE, Reid MC, Wells NM. Environmental volunteering and health outcomes over a 20-year period. Gerontologist. 2010;50(5):594–602.

5 Brown KM, Hoye R, Nicholson M. Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, and Social Connectedness as Mediators of the Relationship Between Volunteering and Well-Being. J Soc Serv Res. 2012;38(4):468–83.

6 Pilkington PD, Windsor TD, Crisp DA. Volunteering and subjective well-being in midlife and older adults: The role of supportive social networks. Journals Gerontol – Ser B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2012;67 B(2):249–60.

7 Otake K, Shimai S, Tanaka-Matsumi J, Otsui K, Fredrickson BL. Happy people become happier through kindness: A counting kindnesses intervention. J Happiness Stud. 2006;7(3): 361–75.

8 Kerr SL, O’Donovan A, Pepping CA. Can Gratitude and Kindness Interventions Enhance Well-Being in a Clinical Sample? J Happiness Stud. 2014;16(1):17–36.

9 Pressman SD, Kraft TL, Cross MP. It’s good to do good and receive good: The impact of a ‘pay it forward’ style kindness intervention on giver and receiver well-being. J Posit Psychol. 2015;10(4):293–302.

10 Choi NG, Kim J. The effect of time volunteering and charitable donations in later life on psychological well-being. Ageing Soc. 2011;31(4):590–610.

11 Fehr E, Fischbacher U. The nature of human altruism. Nature. 2003;425(6960):785–91. 

Kindness and mental health

People living with long-term health conditions in northern ireland are more likely to experience anxiety that interferes with their daily lives.

Data we released in Northern Ireland reveals that anxiety is taking a toll on people who are living with long-term health conditions, as 90% are experiencing anxiety that interferes with their daily lives.

Our new research reveals anxiety is gripping Scotland as many people suffer in silence and struggle to cope

We published research today showing that almost six in ten adults in Scotland (58%) experienced anxiety that interfered with their daily lives in the previous two weeks.

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Essay on Kindness

Essay generator.

In a world bustling with diverse activities, where ambition often overshadows empathy, kindness emerges as a beacon of hope and warmth. This essay explores the profound essence of kindness, its definition, inherent meaning, and the impactful ways it can be incorporated into our daily lives, especially for students aspiring to make a difference.

Kindness , at its core, is a selfless act marked by acts of generosity, consideration, and care towards others without expecting anything in return. It transcends mere politeness and delves into the realm of empathy and compassion. In the simplest form, kindness can be a smile, a helping hand, or a comforting word – small gestures that hold the power to transform moments and lives.

The Multifaceted Nature of Kindness

Kindness is not a singular, isolated behavior but a complex interplay of various attributes. It involves:

• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
• Compassion: A deep awareness of others’ suffering coupled with a desire to alleviate it.
• Generosity: The willingness to give time, energy, or resources.
• Gratitude: Appreciating and recognizing the good in others and in the world.

The Impact of Kindness

Kindness, though often quiet and unassuming, has a ripple effect that extends far beyond the initial interaction. Studies have shown that acts of kindness:

• Improve Well-being: Both the giver and receiver of kindness experience heightened feelings of happiness and contentment.
• Foster Connections: Kindness bridges gaps between people, fostering a sense of community and belonging.
• Inspire More Kindness: Witnessing or experiencing kindness often prompts individuals to act kindly themselves, creating a cycle of goodwill.

Benefits of Kindness

• Improved Well-being: Acts of kindness, whether giving or receiving, can trigger the release of endorphins, often referred to as “feel-good” hormones, leading to an improved sense of well-being and happiness.
• Better Relationships: Kindness is a key factor in building and maintaining healthy relationships. Acts of kindness, such as listening empathetically or providing support, can strengthen connections with others.
• Improved Mental Health: Engaging in acts of kindness has been linked to improved mental health outcomes, including reduced symptoms of depression and increased life satisfaction.
• Physical Health Benefits: Research suggests that kindness can have positive effects on physical health, such as improved heart health and a boosted immune system.
• Enhanced Self-esteem: Acts of kindness can boost one’s self-esteem and self-worth, as they provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
• Positive Social Impact: Acts of kindness can create a ripple effect, inspiring others to engage in kind actions as well. This can contribute to a more compassionate and harmonious society.
• Increased Happiness: Engaging in acts of kindness has been associated with greater overall life satisfaction and happiness, as it brings joy to both the giver and receiver.
• Strengthened Bonds: Kindness strengthens bonds between individuals and can lead to deeper and more meaningful relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.
• Personal Growth: Practicing kindness can lead to personal growth and a greater sense of purpose, as it encourages individuals to be more mindful, compassionate, and empathetic.
• Cultural and Global Harmony: Kindness is a fundamental value in promoting cultural and global harmony, fostering peace, cooperation, and understanding among diverse groups.
• Positive Influence: Kindness can serve as a positive influence, inspiring others to follow suit and engage in acts of kindness, creating a more compassionate and caring world.
• Personal Fulfillment: Ultimately, practicing kindness can lead to a sense of personal fulfillment and a greater purpose in life, as it contributes to the betterment of oneself and others.

Kindness in Everyday Life

Incorporating kindness into daily life can be simple yet profound. Here are some ways students can practice kindness:

• Volunteering: Offering time to help others, be it in a community center, a local charity, or a school event.
• Listening Actively: Sometimes, offering an ear to someone who needs to talk is one of the kindest things one can do.
• Sharing Knowledge: Helping a peer understand a tough concept or sharing study resources.
• Small Acts of Thoughtfulness: Complimenting someone, thanking a teacher, or helping a younger student.

Overcoming Barriers to Kindness

While the concept of kindness is universally admired, practicing it consistently can be challenging. Barriers include:

• Busy Schedules: The fast pace of life can make us overlook opportunities to be kind.
• Fear of Rejection: Sometimes, people hesitate to offer help, fearing their efforts won’t be appreciated.
• Misunderstanding Kindness: Kindness is not about grand gestures; even the smallest act can make a significant impact.

Kindness in Literature and History

Throughout literature and history, kindness has been a recurring theme. From the parables of ancient scriptures advocating for compassion to modern tales celebrating unsung heroes, kindness is a thread that weaves through the tapestry of human experience.

Kindness in the Digital Age

In the era of social media and digital communication, kindness has taken on new forms. It’s vital for students to practice kindness online by:

• Being Respectful in Interactions: Avoiding negative comments and spreading positivity.
• Supporting Causes: Using digital platforms to support charitable causes and spread awareness.

In conclusion, Kindness, in its essence, is about recognizing our shared humanity and extending warmth to others in our journey. For students participating in essay writing competitions, this essay serves not just as an exploration of the concept but also as an invitation to embody kindness in their lives. In a world often clouded by competition and individualism, kindness stands out as a universal language of empathy and compassion, capable of transforming both the giver and receiver, and ultimately, the world.

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The Importance of Being Kind to Others

Table of contents, fostering positive relationships, spreading positivity and well-being, creating a chain of kindness, building empathy and understanding, contributing to positive change, references:.

• Curry, O. S., Rowland, L. A., Van Lissa, C. J., Zlotowitz, S., McAlaney, J., & Whitehouse, H. (2018). Happy to Help? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Performing Acts of Kindness on the Well-Being of the Actor. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 76, 320-329.
• Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377-389.
• Fehr, E., & Fischbacher, U. (2003). The Nature of Human Altruism. Nature, 425(6960), 785-791.
• Post, S. G. (2005). Altruism, Happiness, and Health: It's Good to Be Good. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 12(2), 66-77.
• RippleKindness.org. (n.d.). The Ripple Effect. Retrieved from https://ripplekindness.org/the-ripple-effect/

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On Self-Respect: Joan Didion’s 1961 Essay from the Pages of Vogue

Joan Didion , author, journalist, and style icon, died today after a prolonged illness. She was 87 years old. Here, in its original layout, is Didion’s seminal essay “Self-respect: Its Source, Its Power,” which was first published in Vogue in 1961, and which was republished as “On Self-Respect” in the author’s 1968 collection, Slouching Towards Bethlehem.​ Didion wrote the essay as the magazine was going to press, to fill the space left after another writer did not produce a piece on the same subject. She wrote it not to a word count or a line count, but to an exact character count.

Once, in a dry season, I wrote in large letters across two pages of a notebook that innocence ends when one is stripped of the delusion that one likes oneself. Although now, some years later, I marvel that a mind on the outs with itself should have nonetheless made painstaking record of its every tremor, I recall with embarrassing clarity the flavor of those particular ashes. It was a matter of misplaced self-respect.

I had not been elected to Phi Beta Kappa. This failure could scarcely have been more predictable or less ambiguous (I simply did not have the grades), but I was unnerved by it; I had somehow thought myself a kind of academic Raskolnikov, curiously exempt from the cause-effect relationships that hampered others. Although the situation must have had even then the approximate tragic stature of Scott Fitzgerald's failure to become president of the Princeton Triangle Club, the day that I did not make Phi Beta Kappa nevertheless marked the end of something, and innocence may well be the word for it. I lost the conviction that lights would always turn green for me, the pleasant certainty that those rather passive virtues which had won me approval as a child automatically guaranteed me not only Phi Beta Kappa keys but happiness, honour, and the love of a good man (preferably a cross between Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca and one of the Murchisons in a proxy fight); lost a certain touching faith in the totem power of good manners, clean hair, and proven competence on the Stanford-Binet scale. To such doubtful amulets had my self-respect been pinned, and I faced myself that day with the nonplussed wonder of someone who has come across a vampire and found no garlands of garlic at hand.

Although to be driven back upon oneself is an uneasy affair at best, rather like trying to cross a border with borrowed credentials, it seems to me now the one condition necessary to the beginnings of real self-respect. Most of our platitudes notwithstanding, self-deception remains the most difficult deception. The charms that work on others count for nothing in that devastatingly well-lit back alley where one keeps assignations with oneself: no winning smiles will do here, no prettily drawn lists of good intentions. With the desperate agility of a crooked faro dealer who spots Bat Masterson about to cut himself into the game, one shuffles flashily but in vain through one's marked cards—the kindness done for the wrong reason, the apparent triumph which had involved no real effort, the seemingly heroic act into which one had been shamed. The dismal fact is that self-respect has nothing to do with the approval of others—who are, after all, deceived easily enough; has nothing to do with reputation—which, as Rhett Butler told Scarlett O'Hara, is something that people with courage can do without.

To do without self-respect, on the other hand, is to be an unwilling audience of one to an interminable home movie that documents one's failings, both real and imagined, with fresh footage spliced in for each screening. There’s the glass you broke in anger, there's the hurt on X's face; watch now, this next scene, the night Y came back from Houston, see how you muff this one. To live without self-respect is to lie awake some night, beyond the reach of warm milk, phenobarbital, and the sleeping hand on the coverlet, counting up the sins of commission and omission, the trusts betrayed, the promises subtly broken, the gifts irrevocably wasted through sloth or cowardice or carelessness. However long we postpone it, we eventually lie down alone in that notoriously un- comfortable bed, the one we make ourselves. Whether or not we sleep in it depends, of course, on whether or not we respect ourselves.

Joan Didion

To protest that some fairly improbable people, some people who could not possibly respect themselves, seem to sleep easily enough is to miss the point entirely, as surely as those people miss it who think that self-respect has necessarily to do with not having safety pins in one's underwear. There is a common superstition that "self-respect" is a kind of charm against snakes, something that keeps those who have it locked in some unblighted Eden, out of strange beds, ambivalent conversations, and trouble in general. It does not at all. It has nothing to do with the face of things, but concerns instead a separate peace, a private reconciliation. Although the careless, suicidal Julian English in Appointment in Samarra and the careless, incurably dishonest Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby seem equally improbable candidates for self-respect, Jordan Baker had it, Julian English did not. With that genius for accommodation more often seen in women than in men, Jordan took her own measure, made her own peace, avoided threats to that peace: "I hate careless people," she told Nick Carraway. "It takes two to make an accident."

Like Jordan Baker, people with self-respect have the courage of their mistakes. They know the price of things. If they choose to commit adultery, they do not then go running, in an access of bad conscience, to receive absolution from the wronged parties; nor do they complain unduly of the unfairness, the undeserved embarrassment, of being named corespondent. If they choose to forego their work—say it is screenwriting—in favor of sitting around the Algonquin bar, they do not then wonder bitterly why the Hacketts, and not they, did Anne Frank.

In brief, people with self-respect exhibit a certain toughness, a kind of moral nerve; they display what was once called character, a quality which, although approved in the abstract, sometimes loses ground to other, more instantly negotiable virtues. The measure of its slipping prestige is that one tends to think of it only in connection with homely children and with United States senators who have been defeated, preferably in the primary, for re-election. Nonetheless, character—the willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life—is the source from which self-respect springs.

Self-respect is something that our grandparents, whether or not they had it, knew all about. They had instilled in them, young, a certain discipline, the sense that one lives by doing things one does not particularly want to do, by putting fears and doubts to one side, by weighing immediate comforts against the possibility of larger, even intangible, comforts. It seemed to the nineteenth century admirable, but not remarkable, that Chinese Gordon put on a clean white suit and held Khartoum against the Mahdi; it did not seem unjust that the way to free land in California involved death and difficulty and dirt. In a diary kept during the winter of 1846, an emigrating twelve-year-old named Narcissa Cornwall noted coolly: "Father was busy reading and did not notice that the house was being filled with strange Indians until Mother spoke about it." Even lacking any clue as to what Mother said, one can scarcely fail to be impressed by the entire incident: the father reading, the Indians filing in, the mother choosing the words that would not alarm, the child duly recording the event and noting further that those particular Indians were not, "fortunately for us," hostile. Indians were simply part of the donnée.

In one guise or another, Indians always are. Again, it is a question of recognizing that anything worth having has its price. People who respect themselves are willing to accept the risk that the Indians will be hostile, that the venture will go bankrupt, that the liaison may not turn out to be one in which every day is a holiday because you’re married to me. They are willing to invest something of themselves; they may not play at all, but when they do play, they know the odds.

That kind of self-respect is a discipline, a habit of mind that can never be faked but can be developed, trained, coaxed forth. It was once suggested to me that, as an antidote to crying, I put my head in a paper bag. As it happens, there is a sound physiological reason, something to do with oxygen, for doing exactly that, but the psychological effect alone is incalculable: it is difficult in the extreme to continue fancying oneself Cathy in Wuthering Heights with one's head in a Food Fair bag. There is a similar case for all the small disciplines, unimportant in themselves; imagine maintaining any kind of swoon, commiserative or carnal, in a cold shower.

But those small disciplines are valuable only insofar as they represent larger ones. To say that Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton is not to say that Napoleon might have been saved by a crash program in cricket; to give formal dinners in the rain forest would be pointless did not the candlelight flickering on the liana call forth deeper, stronger disciplines, values instilled long before. It is a kind of ritual, helping us to remember who and what we are. In order to remember it, one must have known it.

To have that sense of one's intrinsic worth which, for better or for worse, constitutes self-respect, is potentially to have everything: the ability to discriminate, to love and to remain indifferent. To lack it is to be locked within oneself, paradoxically incapable of either love or indifference. If we do not respect ourselves, we are on the one hand forced to despise those who have so few resources as to consort with us, so little perception as to remain blind to our fatal weaknesses. On the other, we are peculiarly in thrall to everyone we see, curiously determined to live out—since our self-image is untenable—their false notions of us. We flatter ourselves by thinking this compulsion to please others an attractive trait: a gift for imaginative empathy, evidence of our willingness to give. Of course we will play Francesca to Paolo, Brett Ashley to Jake, Helen Keller to anyone's Annie Sullivan: no expectation is too misplaced, no rôle too ludicrous. At the mercy of those we can not but hold in contempt, we play rôles doomed to failure before they are begun, each defeat generating fresh despair at the necessity of divining and meeting the next demand made upon us.

It is the phenomenon sometimes called alienation from self. In its advanced stages, we no longer answer the telephone, because someone might want something; that we could say no without drowning in self-reproach is an idea alien to this game. Every encounter demands too much, tears the nerves, drains the will, and the spectre of something as small as an unanswered letter arouses such disproportionate guilt that one's sanity becomes an object of speculation among one's acquaintances. To assign unanswered letters their proper weight, to free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves—there lies the great, the singular power of self-respect. Without it, one eventually discovers the final turn of the screw: one runs away to find oneself, and finds no one at home.

10 Keys to Happier Living

Everyone's path to happiness is different. based on the latest research, we have identified 10 keys to happier living that consistently tend to make life happier and more fulfilling. together they spell great dream., you can explore them all below..

Do kind things for others

If you want to feel good, doing good is a great place to start..

Helping and being kind not only contributes to the happiness of others, it can also help us to feel happier ourselves! [1] Studies have shown that when we do kind things it can literally gives our brain a boost, activating its ‘reward centres’ [2] and that feels good. It can take our minds off our own worries too. 

Giving and kindness also help us feel connected to others which is important for our wellbeing and contributes to building stronger communities and a happier society for everyone. [3]

There are lots of different ways we can give and  help others .

Every act of kindness counts

From small acts like a friendly smile, a few kind words, helping with bags, or offering up our seat, through to regular volunteering - there are lots of different ways we can give or be kind. We can of course donate money to good causes if we are able to and we can give in lots of non-financial ways too, such as giving a moment of attention, some of our time, knowledge, ideas, energy or support, or even sometimes by giving people the benefit of the doubt, instead of instantly judging them. Acts of kindness add up for our own and others wellbeing and all contribute to creating happier communities. [4]

Reflection: What’s a small act of kindness you could do today?

Helping others can boost happiness in many ways

Scientific studies show that helping others can contribute to our happiness in different ways. These include: experiencing more positive emotions and satisfaction with life [5]; increasing our sense of meaning [6], and boosting our self-confidence. It can reduce stress and help us feel calmer too. [7] Some studies have found that people who volunteered regularly were found to be more hopeful and experience fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety and may even live longer. [8]  Not all acts of helping boost how happy we feel – to maximise the benefits, it’s important that we’ve chosen if or how we help; we can see or sense that it will have a positive impact; and it helps us feel more connected to others. [9]

So if you want to feel good, find ways you can do good! 

Reflection: When was a time that you chose to give or help others that boosted how happy you felt? What contributed to that?

Everyone needs kindness

Giving and being kind can help us feel more connected to others and contribute to nurturing our relationships - and that’s good for wellbeing all round! [10] Our acts of kindness might be for family, friends, colleagues, or neighbours or even strangers. They could be old or young, nearby or far away. It could be a one-off spontaneous gesture or something we do regularly. It could be a compassionate response in a time of crisis or need or simply because it’s a nice thing to do. There are always ways to be kind.

Reflection: Who have you been kind to recently? Who has been kind to you?

Create kindness ripples

Studies have shown that when we do something kind both the recipient and other people who witness that kind act are more likely to be kind themselves. [11] So our kindnesses are amplified, contributing to a happier world! Expressing gratitude for help others give us also ripples out too. [12]

Reflection: Who can you thank for what they give to you?

Ask for help when you need it

Think about it - if helping others boosts happiness, asking for help when we need it could give the person we ask the opportunity for a feel good boost. It can also mean they are then more likely to ask for help when they need it. Certainly communities where people feel they can rely on others to help are happier and more resilient. [13] Asking for help builds connection - so it isn’t only for when we are struggling. We can also ask for help to share experiences, when we’d value support, or when we want to learn something new. 

Reflection: What’s something you’d like help with? Who can you ask?

Balancing your own needs and those of others

Helping is associated with increased happiness and health, but feeling obligated or overly burdened by it can be detrimental, [14] as can be the case for long-term carers. If you are a carer, taking care of your own wellbeing matters – for yourself and the people you are helping. Even small actions that give you a quick break or a boost can help you sustain your physical and psychological health and so your ability to continue caring for others.

Reflection:  What is an action you can take to maintain your own wellbeing, to help you sustain caring for others?

Sustainable giving

As a general rule, we can be more effective, regular givers if we find ways to help that we enjoy, which are in line with our own strengths and feel worthwhile or meaningful. If we are happier givers, the recipients will likely benefit more, and we are more likely to continue to give. Choosing how we help and give to others, giving in ways that boost our sense of social connection and in which we feel effective and impactful all matter in order to sustain giving and helping others. [15] Happier people tend to help others more, so taking care of your own wellbeing helps you sustain giving too. [16]

Reflection: What ways of helping others do you enjoy or find energising?

1 Curry, O. S., Rowland, L. A., Van Lissa, C. J., Zlotowitz, S., McAlaney, J., & Whitehouse, H. (2018). Happy to help? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of performing acts of kindness on the well-being of the actor. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 76, 320-329. Aknin, L. B., Dunn, E. W., &; Norton, M. I. (2012). Happiness runs in a circular motion: Evidence for a positive feedback loop between prosocial spending and happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13(2), 347-355.

2 Harbaugh, W. T., Mayr, U., &; Burghart, D. R. (2007). Neural responses to taxation and voluntary giving reveal motives for charitable donations. Science, 316(5831), 1622-1625.

3 Aknin, L. B., Whillans, A. V., Norton, M. I., & Dunn, E. W. (2019). Happiness and prosocial behavior: An evaluation of the evidence. World Happiness Report 2019, 67-86. Okabe-Miyamoto, K., &; Lyubomirsky, S. (2021). Social connection and well-being during COVID-19. World Happiness Report, 131-152.

4 Aknin, L. B., Whillans, A. V., Norton, M. I., & Dunn, E. W. (2019). Happiness and prosocial behavior: An evaluation of the evidence. World Happiness Report 2019, 67-86. Okabe-Miyamoto, K., &; Lyubomirsky, S. (2021). Social connection and well-being during COVID-19. World Happiness Report, 131-152.

5 Aknin, L. B., & Whillans, A. V. (2021). Helping and happiness: A review and guide for public policy. Social Issues and Policy Review, 15(1), 3-34.

6 What Works Centre for Wellbeing Briefing Paper (2020) Volunteer wellbeing: what works and who benefits? https://whatworkswellbeing.org/resources/volunteer-wellbeing-what-works-and-who-benefits/

7 Luks, A. A. (1988). Helper's high. Psychology Today, 22(10), 39.; Piliavin, J. (2003). Doing well by doing good: Benefits for the benefactor. In C. M. Keyes, J. Haidt, C. M. Keyes, J. Haidt (Eds.) , Flourishing: Positive psychology and the life well-lived (pp. 227-247). Washington, DC US: American Psychological Association.

8 Aknin, L. B., Whillans, A. V., Norton, M. I., & Dunn, E. W. (2019). Happiness and prosocial behavior: An evaluation of the evidence. World Happiness Report 2019, 67-86. Curry, O. S., Rowland, L. A., Van Lissa, C. J., Zlotowitz, S., McAlaney, J., &; Whitehouse, H. (2018). Happy to help? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of performing acts of kindness on the well-being of the actor. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 76, 320-329. King, V. (2016) 10 Keys to Happier Living – A Practical Guide for Happiness. Hachette. Lyubomirsky, S, Sheldon, K M, &; Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 111 - 131

9 Aknin, L. B., & Whillans, A. V. (2021). Helping and happiness: A review and guide for public policy. Social Issues and Policy Review, 15(1), 3-34.; King, V. (2016) 10 Keys to Happier Living – A Practical Guide for Happiness. Hachette.

10 Aknin, L. B., & Whillans, A. V. (2021). Helping and happiness: A review and guide for public policy. Social Issues and Policy Review, 15(1), 3-34.; Helliwell, J. F., Aknin, L. B., Shiplett, H., Huang, H., & Wang, S. (2017). Social capital and prosocial behaviour as sources of well-being. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 23761

11 Jung, H., Seo, E., Han, E., Henderson, M. D., and Patall, E. A. (2020). Prosocial modeling: A meta-analytic review and synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 146(8), 635

12 Algoe, S. B., Dwyer, P. C., Younge, A., &; Oveis, C. (2020). A new perspective on the social functions of emotions: Gratitude and the witnessing effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 119(1), 40.

13 Aknin, L. B., & Whillans, A. V. (2021). Helping and happiness: A review and guide for public policy. Social Issues and Policy Review, 15(1), 3-34.; Helliwell, J. F., Aknin, L. B., Shiplett, H., Huang, H., &; Wang, S. (2017). Social capital and prosocial behaviour as sources of well-being. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 23761

14 Aknin, L. B., & Whillans, A. V. (2021). Helping and happiness: A review and guide for public policy. Social Issues and Policy Review, 15(1), 3-34

15 Aknin, L. B., & Whillans, A. V. (2021). Helping and happiness: A review and guide for public policy. Social Issues and Policy Review, 15(1), 3-34.; King, V. (2016) 10 Keys to Happier Living – A Practical Guide for Happiness. Hachette.

16 Aknin, L. B., Dunn, E. W., & Norton, M. I. (2012). Happiness runs in a circular motion: Evidence for a positive feedback loop between prosocial spending and happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13(2), 347-355.

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Why this writer says her son deserves a champion like Tim Walz

Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz embraces his son Gus Walz as his daughter Hope Walz looks on, after speaking on stage at the Democratic National Convention. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images hide caption

Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz embraces his son Gus Walz as his daughter Hope Walz looks on, after speaking on stage at the Democratic National Convention.

When Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president, he spoke out for reproductive rights in personal terms.

In his speech, he described the struggle he and his wife went through to start a family:

"It took Gwen and I years. But we had access to fertility treatments. And when our daughter was born, we named her: Hope."

But it was at the point, when he shouted out his family, that they stole the show.

"Hope, Gus and Gwen, you are my entire world, and I love you."

As the applause rang out, the cameras panned to his 17-year-old son Gus Walz, who, with tears in his eyes, stood up, clapped loudly, pointed to the stage and appeared to repeatedly exclaim: "That's my dad!"

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A public spotlight

That emotional moment was celebrated by some, though a handful of right-wing commentators mocked Gus Walz for crying.

Before the DNC, the Walz family made public that Gus has a non-verbal learning disorder, ADHD and an anxiety disorder, according to his family.

The family calls it his secret power, which makes him "brilliant" and "hyper-aware." And that secret power – was now thrust into the spotlight too.

For parents of neurodivergent kids, like journalist and writer Tina Brown, it wasn't just a heartwarming video clip. It was a reminder of her own son, Georgie, a 38-year-old man on the spectrum who still lives with her.

She spoke with NPR's Juana Summers after writing about this topic for The New York Times .

"I just recognized immediately that he was one of what I call 'ours,' the community of people who are on the spectrum, or special needs, or whatever you want to call it, whose emotions are sometimes a little bit sort of overexpressed," Brown told NPR.

"And there was something so sweet about it. It just reminded me of my son Georgie, and it sort of prompted me to write about that, about how for people like us to see Gus and see the love of his family towards him, it was very, very moving and it felt important."

Recognition and self-awareness

Like the Walz family and Gus, Brown recognizes Georgie's own idiosyncrasies as superpowers.

"He just can only tell the truth, so he has no ability to to have any of the social lies that sort of make the world go round," Brown describes.

"For instance, one evening we were at a sort of fancy dinner in the Hamptons. And Georgie, at the end of the evening said to the host, 'Thank you so much for that evening. I enjoyed it. It was fine, but unfortunately nobody spoke to me really. So it was pretty boring. Now the food was OK and I doubt that I'll ever come again.' And at the end of it, my husband shouted in the car, 'I've never been more proud of you in my life, Georgie!'"

But of course, Brown says, this honesty can also pose social challenges to neurodivergent people in social and professional settings. She says that would make a parent who understands these struggles in the White House all the more valuable.

As for what policy issues she'd like to see addressed?

"I think jobs and a real push for people to hire people with special needs in jobs that they can do and which they absolutely are qualified to do. And secondly, a movement towards assisted living, because many of these people are perfectly able to live alone and in fact, they want to. But what they really need is an assisted living community," Brown says.

"And that is completely not there. I mean, this kind of thing I'm talking about is something I think that should be a big movement in this country, because I think it would have many, many people who would be thrilled to have their kid in a place like that."

This episode was produced by Karen Zamora and Brianna Scott. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Spreading Kindness Is a Choice that Takes Strength

A personal perspective: even small acts of kindness help build a better world..

Posted August 26, 2024 | Reviewed by Hara Estroff Marano

• What Is Stress?
• Take our Burnout Test
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• We can choose to spread kindness or grumpiness; our choice impacts others as well as ourselves.
• Kindness is contagious, creating a ripple effect that contributes to a more compassionate world.
• Small acts of kindness, like a smile or holding a door, can uplift someone's day and foster connection.
• Practicing kindness boosts mood, reduces stress, and benefs both giver and receiver.

In today's tumultuous world, it's easy to find ourselves overwhelmed by bad news. In addition to whatever may be happening in our personal lives, family, jobs, and health, there are times when the world just seems to be unraveling. Daily reports of death, destruction, accidents, violence, poverty, homelessness, natural and environmental disasters, and national discord are deeply unsettling.

Some mornings I wake up burdened by such concerns and feel grumpy. I take all the fears, disappointments, worries, and pressures that I’m feeling with me on my morning walk not far from my home. Passing the friends, neighbors, and nameless strangers I see almost every morning on the trail, the grumpy version of me stares down and isn’t inclined to greet anybody with anything more than a passing glance and barely audible “mornin.”

On other mornings, I wake up thinking about the things that are going right in my life and community. It might be something I saw last night on TV or the video of my grandson learning to swim that lifted my spirits. Whatever it is, I leave for my morning walk with a smile and a heart full of hope and gratitude . On these mornings, I feel blessed and think about all the good things happening in my life. Taking a hopeful mindset with me on my morning walk, I am inclined to greet fellow walkers with a robust “Good morning,” a comment on what a beautiful day it is or give them a compliment.

And then there are days when a simple smile or kind word from a fellow walker, who could even be a stranger, changes everything. In an instant, I go from grumpy to grateful. I am becoming aware that regardless of which side of the bed I wake up on, I have a choice. I can spread the kindness I feel or the grumpiness.

This morning, I chose kindness. As I passed familiar faces and met new ones, I made a conscious effort to greet everyone warmly. I said good morning, wished people a nice day, and offered genuine compliments. In those moments, I realized two things: the extent to which kindness can be a choice and a practice and how contagious things like kindness and grumpiness can be.

When we spread kindness, we create ripples that extend far beyond us. The people we touch with our kindness are more likely to pass it on to others, creating a chain reaction of goodwill. Courtesy, kindness, patience—all these virtues are contagious. By embodying them, we contribute to making the world a softer, kinder, more forgiving , and more compassionate place.

We live in a world that often emphasizes high drama and bad breaking news over stories about the people who made compassion, empathy, and kindness a priority. How different might our lives and our world be if each of us dedicated some time each day to spreading the kindness? It can be as simple as a smile, a kind word, or a small act of generosity . Holding the door for someone, letting a car merge in front of you in traffic, or offering a sincere compliment can change the trajectory of someone's day. Small gestures can have a profound impact.

Consider the last times someone showed you kindness. Or grumpiness. How did it make you feel? Chances are, something simple brightened your day, lifted your spirits, reminded you that you were valued and appreciated, reaffirmed your sense of connection and belonging in the world. On the flip side, a simple act born of short-temperedness, impatience, unkindness may have created a ripple of grumpiness and contributed to a number of people paying it forward onto others.

We all have bad days. It's natural to feel grumpy, stressed , or overwhelmed at times. But even on such days we have the power to choose how we treat ourselves and others. We can decide to air out our grumpiness in constructive ways and show kindness. This doesn't mean suppressing our feelings or pretending everything is fine when it's not. Rather, it means making a conscious decision to not let our fears, worries, disappointments, and resentments run the show in our lives and relationships.

Spreading kindness also benefits our brains. They release oxytocin , promoting feelings of connection and reducing stress. Kindness boosts our mood and increases our overall sense of happiness and satisfaction with life.

And practicing kindness improves our relationships. People are naturally drawn to kindness, and, when we show it, we build trust and strengthen our connections with others.

In a world where division and conflict dominate the headlines, news of kindness and hope are a powerful antidote to despair. Even small acts of kindness animate our shared humanity and remind us that we are all in this together. Each act of kindness, no matter how small, contributes to a collective movement toward a more compassionate and just world.

The next time you find yourself at a crossroads—whether to spread kindness or grumpiness—choose kindness. It can be the spark that lights up someone's day, warms your own heart, and activates the best in all of us.

Ken Druck, Ph.D., was awarded the Distinguished Contribution in Psychology for his work in grief literacy. Dr. Druck is a bestselling author, speaker, facilitator, executive coach/consultant, and regular presenter at distinguished universities, such as the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of California San Diego Department of Psychiatry.

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Self-driving truck company TuSimple accused of exaggerating safety record settles U.S. fraud lawsuit for $189-million

TuSimple delisted from Nasdaq in January, fewer than three years after raising $1.35 billion in an April 2021 initial public offering. Supplied/Reuters

TuSimple reached a $189 million settlement of a lawsuit accusing the self-driving truck technology company of defrauding shareholders by overstating its safety record and concealing three insiders’ control of a Chinese trucking rival.

A preliminary settlement of the proposed class action was filed on Monday in the federal court in San Diego, where TuSimple is based, and requires a judge’s approval.

All defendants, including the company, various TuSimple founders and executives, and TuSimple’s bank underwriters, denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.

TuSimple has paid $174 million of the settlement amount into an escrow account while its insurers have paid $15 million there, court papers show.

The company delisted from Nasdaq in January, fewer than three years after raising $1.35 billion in an April 2021 initial public offering.

Lawyers for TuSimple did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.

Shareholders said TuSimple misrepresented the safety of its technology prior to the IPO, with an eye toward addressing the kinks on U.S. roads and transferring the improved technology to the Chinese rival, Hydron.

They said the truth emerged in August 2022, when the Wall Street Journal said an Arizona freeway crash four months earlier underscored analyst and employee concerns that TuSimple’s rush to deliver driverless trucks put public safety at risk.

Lawyers for the shareholders may seek up to 25% of the settlement amount, or about $47 million, for legal fees.

TuSimple went public at $40 per share. The shares traded unchanged at 20 cents in Tuesday afternoon over-the-counter trading on the Pink Sheets.

The case is Dicker et al v. TuSimple Holdings Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, No. 22-01300.

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Guest Essay

Trump Can Win on Character

By Rich Lowry

Mr. Lowry is the editor in chief of National Review.

With the defenestration of President Biden and the ascent of Kamala Harris, conventional wisdom has gone from asking, “How can Donald Trump lose?” to “How can he win?”

It’s basically a tossup race, but a successful Harris rollout and convention, coupled with a stumbling Trump performance since Mr. Biden’s exit, have created a sense of irresistible Harris momentum.

As usual when he falters, Mr. Trump is getting a lot of advice from his own side.

For as long as Mr. Trump has been in the ascendancy in the G.O.P., he will go off on some pointless tangent, and Republicans will urge him — perhaps as they hustle down a corridor of the U.S. Capitol — to talk about the economy instead of his controversy du jour.

A close cousin of this perpetual advice is the admonition that Mr. Trump should concentrate more on the issues in this campaign. Neither recommendation is wrong, but they are insufficient to make the case against Kamala Harris.

Presidential races are won and lost on character as much as the issues, and often the issues are proxies for character. Not character in the sense of a candidate’s personal life but the attributes that play into the question of whether someone is suited to the presidency — is he or she qualified, trustworthy and strong, and does he or she care about average Americans?

Presidential races, in this sense, are deeply personal; they usually involve disqualifying the opposing candidate, rather than convincing voters that his or her platform is wrongheaded.

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