World Kindness Day 2024! Have you ever experienced a random act of kindness?

Rosie_Scope

It's come around again! 13th November is World Kindness Day.

It's a day dedicated to celebrating kindness, compassion and good deeds. Something I think a lot of us might need at the moment! A few recent world events have got lots of people feeling a bit rubbish, so it feels like a day spreading some love and happiness has come at the perfect time.

Did you know that a study once found that people who are constantly kind produced roughly 23% less cortisol (the stress hormone) and aged slower than those who weren't?

Being kind helps produce hormones like oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine, which is what gives you the warm-and-fuzzies. Stimulating these hormones can help you feel less stressed and could even lower your blood pressure.

Kindness is also contagious. Studies have shown that being kind to someone makes them more likely to act kindly to others in return. So it's always worth spreading some happiness if you can!

I see so many of you being kind to each other on the community, so I hope some of that kindness spreads outwards too. But if you'd like to start doing some random acts of kindness beyond the online community, there's a few ideas of kind things you can do on the Kindness UK website:

Kindness UK | Kindness Day/Week Individuals

So have you ever experienced a random act of kindness from someone? Or have you ever performed a random act of kindness for someone else?

Do you think the world is getting more or less kind as the years go by?

Rachel_Scope

Such a wonderful day to celebrate! One act of kindness that sticks out for me is when my son was around 5 years old and we were in the Drs waiting room reading a book together. We went in for our appointment and as we came back out a man shouted "excuse me", so my immediate thought was I had done something wrong. He then said how wonderful it was to listen to me and my son talking about the book and it had made his day 😊 That was almost 10 years ago and I still remember his kindness.

Lottie5790

Today I was out in my wheelchair and a man kindly stopped and told me you can buy thermal waterproof socks to help stop my feet getting wet and cold in the rain as I can’t wear shoes

Rachel_Scope

Aww that's so kind of him @Lottie5790. It's so lovely when people go out of their way like that. Are you going to get some?

W_Webster

Someone carried my shopping bag to the car a few weeks back. I walk with a walking stick due to very little feeling in my legs and back pain. I had a bit too much weight in my shopping bag, and many things I have to do alone, alas. So, I stopped walking and took a break against the wall of the supermarket and an unknown (to me) lady stopped and asked if she could help. She was kind enough to put the bag in the boot of my car. I was very very grateful. Not many people are so willing to do these things these days. That really made my day. Thank you, unknown lady.