The term Random Act of Kindness (RAoK) is described on Wikipedia as “a nonpremeditated, inconsistent action designed to offer kindness towards the outside world“. Basically, it’s when you do something nice for someone else, or for society in general.
Doing a RAoK is hugely beneficial in many ways. Not only does the act help the party receiving it, but it’s also a great way to make yourself feel good – you’re helping others, you’re connecting with the world, and you’re spreading positive vibes!
Well, that’s all great, but how do we get started? You may be ready and raring to start your RAoK, but you might not know what you can do. Maybe you’re unsure you can do anything that would “really make a difference”. The beauty of RAoK is that even the smallest act can make a massive difference.
Here is a list of just a few things you could do. Some of them are bigger tasks or long-term projects, but some take less than a couple of seconds!
- give a compliment to a stranger
- leave positive notes in random places, such as inside library books
- volunteer at an animal shelter
- offer to run an errand for someone
- donate your hair to The Little Princess Trust
- send someone a text letting them know you’re thinking of them
- pick up some litter
- smile at someone in the street
- befriend an elderly neighbour
- give blood
- sign up to be an organ donor
- donate items to a food bank
- help a friend redecorate
- write a poem for someone
- pay for the coffee of the person behind you in the queue
- adopt a pet
- stop to help someone who looks lost
- volunteer to read with a child
- donate colouring books and crayons to children in hospital
- give someone a hug (ask their permission first!)
- visit a relative you haven’t seen in a while
- sign up to be a listener on 7 Cups of Tea
- donate books or clothes to a charity shop
- bake someone a cake
- help an elderly person on/off the bus (ask their permission first!)
- offer someone your seat on the bus
- put a bird feeder in your garden
- help a young relative with their homework
- post a nice comment on someone’s selfie
- nominate someone for an award/prize
- drop your spare change in a charity bucket
- ask a young relative if you can put one of their drawings on your fridge
- if they’re not too busy, ask your cashier how their day is going
Whether your RAoK is big or small, it’s all about throwing some positive vibes out into the world. You never know how much good you can do, or how much change you can affect, with something as small as a smile.
What do you think about Random Acts of Kindness? Maybe you do some of these already, or you have your own ideas? Let me know in the comments below!
This is a great list! You can really make someone’s day by doing something small. Especially today, as there is so much mistrust and violence, it’s hard to believe there are good people. You can really turn things around with one sweet gesture.
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So true! It really doesn’t take a lot of effort or money to do something really meaningful. 🙂
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Not heard of 7 Cups before. Thanks for sharing.
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No problem, I hope it’s useful for you 🙂
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I really enjoy posts like this, I love little acts of kindness. I tend to stick to smiling at someone in the street as I feel like it’s something small but can also be so meaningful to someone who doesn’t see many people! Thank you for sharing this post I really enjoyed reading it and getting some more ideas of random acts of kindness!!
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Love the post. Thanks. Some excellent stuff on there. It is certainly food for thought
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I love this list! I often get stuck with the “buy coffee for the person behind you” but this has so many wonderful, easy ideas!
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I’m so glad you like it! I often thought that RAOK had to be big grand gestures but I’ve found that even the little things can make a big difference🙂
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Fantastic list! I wasn’t aware of the charities you mentioned, all sound brilliant. I will definitely make an effort to incorporate some of these ideas into the week ahead.
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Hi Alison, so glad you found it helpful 🙂 I tried to include quite a few that are relatively easy to do so they don’t take a lot of time or energy, so we can do more things for more people! 😊
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Fantastic list! I wasn’t aware of the charities you mentioned, all sound brilliant. I will definitely make an effort to incorporate some of these ideas into the week ahead.
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This is an important reminder, and with so many great ideas, too. It’s so easy to do these, we should all try to do so more often, thanks.
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Great post. We can all participate in RAoK. These are good suggestions. I’m thinking about what I can do today… 🙂
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Thanks Julie, let me know how you get on! 🙂
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I decided to post some nice comments on different Instagram photos! Didn’t make it out of the house today, but I could still make it happen, thanks to your suggestions 🙂
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That’s brilliant, Julie, I’m so pleased 🙂 thanks for sharing! 💜
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