It’s almost here, that long awaited, much anticipated winter break. I know that some people might even be counting down the days to winter break in cute and creative ways. (You know who you are!) This year, more than other years, it seems like the break is needed by everyone to slow down and catch our breath from the roller coaster ride that has been the last two years. Everyone is tired!
I want to propose a challenge for you for the next 10 days…Now before you say anything, hear me out. I promise you that this is not one more thing, but this is an investment in your well-being. Studies show that even small acts of kindness can have significant impacts on your health and wellness, on top of giving you a happier outlook on life. Who wouldn’t want that?
So you may be thinking, what benefits do I get by being kind? There are so many resources out there that discuss this. There are a few that resonated with me. In Why Should We Be Kind To Others?, Narendra Sharma outlines some of the benefits of kindness.
Kindness can:
- Relieve stress
- Reduce anxiety
- Boost your happiness
- Improve your outlook
- Help to improve your relationships with others
- You might make someone’s day
- You might create a kindness spiral
- It’s free
In the article What is Kindness Anyways? the authors at kindness.org, give a “common” definition of kindness that was compiled from a survey on social media.
Kindness involves:
- Empathy
- Smiling
- Helping others
- Giving time or resources
Check out this YouTube video by Orly Wahba on the power of kindness if you want to learn more about how your actions can have a positive impact on the world. Dream, believe, and trust that we can keep each other afloat just by using kindness as a “life vest”.
If you are looking for resources that you can use with your students or kids, check out kindness.org. My favorite is their holiday bundle. This includes a holiday kindness hunt, kindness cards, kindness BINGO, and a template for kindness + mindfulness including gratitude, connection, and generosity.
My challenge to you is for the next ten days do something small that will both give you a boost, but will also boost up someone else. In the calendar below, I am going to give some suggestions, however you can use the resources provided to be creative on what you want your challenge to look like.
What do you do to show kindness to family, friends, or coworkers? Follow the 10-day kindness challenge on Twitter @rszalkowski2 #10daykindnesschallenge . Please tag us @KaneCountyROE if you are participating in the challenge and let us know how it goes. In the spirit of kindness, anyone who completes the challenge for all 10 days will be entered into a drawing for a special treat!
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(e):rzalkowski@kaneroe.org