World Kindness Day 2024
By Chloe Hall
This year World Kindness Day falls on Wednesday 13th November. It was first established in 1998. The general aim is to celebrate acts of kindness across the globe. And what better way to brighten up your day than with a simple act that is kind?
While organisers naturally herald the beneficial impact that kindness can make on society as a whole, there is no question that it is also good for individuals’ mental wellbeing. Performing a kind act not only helps to promote a sympathetic and generous outlook, it also leaves you feeling positive. And that is transformative for mental health, because it can give a purposeful perspective to your day. Moreover, if you experience kindness from a friend, relative, or even a complete stranger, that makes you feel valued and may inspire a sense of compassion. It goes without saying that this too is beneficial for mental health.
Of course, an act of kindness doesn’t have to be hugely time consuming, cost money, or be overly inconvenient to you. Yet by fostering a sense of appreciation, sympathy, and understanding, the benefits can be far reaching. Just imagine, collectively they may even help to break down cultural barriers and ultimately lead to communities in which people can live in greater harmony with one another.
Organisers suggest a series of ways that everyone can consider joining in with this long-standing themed day. You could simply pay a sincere compliment to a friend or a colleague. Or you might decide to help a relative in some way, or a neighbour. Perhaps it’s an opportunity to make a small donation to a local charity shop, or you could simply post a warm message which might inspire others by drawing attention to the day’s aims.
Perhaps you have been considering offering some of your time as a volunteer. This could be an opportune moment to look more closely at options near where you live or work. Who knows, there might be a charity whose values strongly resonate with your own outlook.
Volunteering is a great way to make new friends, socialise, and give something to the community, all of which is beneficial to your own mental health, as I know first-hand. I applied to be a volunteer blogger at HFEH Mind in 2022. The role has been a rewarding and broadening experience, and I have learned a good deal about mental health. Everyone at HFEH Mind is supportive, encouraging and responds cheerfully, despite being busy people.
I feel lucky to have this role, in what is a supportive and progressive organisation. There’s no doubt that being a volunteer has been very beneficial for me and my mental wellbeing, and I am left feeling purposeful and positive. When I ask myself why, it is because of warm interactions with everybody at the organisation.
Showing kindness and empathy in the workplace can often inspire a positive snowball effect. You may not know what someone else is going through, but a smile or kind word can really lift the moment, even if you don’t realise the impact that you are making. Toby, our young ambassador, speaks passionately about this very subject here.
A further suggestion of how to join in with World Kindness Day is to encourage those around you to appreciate the importance of being kind. Busy lifestyles are not always conducive to performing acts of kindness, whether spontaneous or planned. However, an unexpected, kind gesture can really make someone’s day. For instance, you could send a cheery message to a friend, buy a colleague a coffee, or simply help somebody reach that item that’s quite a stretch up on the supermarket shelf.
Goodwill is said to bring out the best in people. It can certainly leave you feeling purposeful and positive. A kind outlook is not just beneficial to others, it will help to make you feel good as you go about your routine. As acts of kindness go, doing something to help others which coincidentally helps to look after your own mental health is a great opportunity for everyone to benefit from this themed day.
Signposting
If you would like further information about World Kindness Day, you can find it here.
There’s a lot of advice and help online for anyone who is finding things difficult. You could try looking at one or more of these sources of information:
HFEH Mind Children & Young People Services
The Circle – Children & Young People Crisis Cafe and Hub
Wellbeing West London Directory
If you live in Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing or Hounslow then join our Physical and Mental Health Focus Group and help shape the future of mental health in your borough and beyond. And if you ever feel you are reaching crisis point come and see us at our Safe Spaces located in each borough or call our help line open 365 days a year.
Posted on: 1st October 2024
