In 1997, World Kindness Day was founded during a conference in Tokyo by a group of teachers and parents who wanted to promote compassion and kindness to children. One of today’s missions is to encourage individuals of different nations to follow The World Kindness Movement: to create a kinder world. World Kindness day is celebrated every year on November 13, but you can make a meaningful impact any day. 

What does it mean to give back? Giving back means being intentional about finding ways to make the world better for others by giving your time, money, or resources. You see, it doesn’t require much. Nonetheless, I want to show you an easy-to-implement inspiration to be kinder. Not only to others but also to yourself.

There are endless ways to be kind. Find one that aligns with your passion and schedule.

It can feel overwhelming when you think about all the various ways to make a difference. You might ask yourself, “What can I possibly do that will make a difference?” There are endless opportunities for kindness and generosity. Hence, the key is finding something that works with your schedule and personality.

I will introduce you to World Kindness Day activities – which do not cost the world (or something at all):

If you are interested in giving back but do not know how or where to start, plenty of resources can help guide your efforts. Try to find something that aligns with what matters most to you: 

If it is animals, look into animal shelters or animal rescue organisations; 

If it is children in need of support because of illness or poverty, consider donating school supplies or books; 

If it is helping people affected by natural disasters like hurricanes and floods, find groups collecting donations on the ground in those areas.

If it is helping your community, volunteering at a local charity or political group by helping out at their events or being involved in improving the neighbourhood.

Please do not forget to be kind to yourself!

There are so many opportunities for you to get involved and spread kindness. There is one thing I want to raise awareness of: mental health issues. I know from experience that many people struggle with putting themselves out there due to depression, anxiety, PTSD and other issues. Sometimes we need to learn to be kinder to ourselves before we can spread kindness into the world.

World Kindness Day should not only be about how we can give back to others and the planet. It can also be an incentive to be kinder to ourselves. Humans like you and me can be very harsh on themselves. But because we are all lovely people, I created another list to show you simple actions you can implement to be kinder to yourself:

The world can wait when you do not feel well.

Support small and local businesses on World Kindness Day

Supporting small businesses on World Kindness Day is an excellent way to make an impact. Small businesses support the local economy and community, which means that you are helping to create jobs for the people around you.

People prefer products from small businesses over those from large corporations because they believe them to be of higher quality and more trustworthy. It makes sense: when you shop at a small business, you can connect with people who care about what they’re doing, which often results in a deeper connection.

Not only does supporting small businesses help improve your local economy — it’s also good for your health and the planet. When we spend our money on goods from industrial corporations, we cannot know if we support slavery, child labour, exploitative work conditions, etc. If we buy from local producers, we get the opportunity to ask them about their production processes. Furthermore, many small businesses are transparent about their business strategy on their website. You can find information about their environmental and social responsibility practices pretty easily.

Christmas season is around the corner

Are you looking for inspiration to find eco-friendly Christmas gifts for your environmentally-conscious loved ones? No worries, I got you covered with my 80+ eco-friendly Christmas gift inspiration. You can read the article here: 

Eco-Friendly Christmas Gifts For 2022: Splendid For Your Loved Ones And The Planet

Another option is to sign up for the Reimagine Sustainability Newsletter and you will get the lists delivered right into your mailbox. For free of course! Simply click on the image below or here:

Being kind to others is wonderful, being kind to yourself will make the planet a better place

There are many ways to be kind. Therefore, find ways that align with your passion and schedule. Whether donating or volunteering, there is always a way to spread kindness. 

After all, I am a big supporter of spreading kindness, but I want to point out again that it is absolutely all right to not be in the right headspace for kindness. If this is the case for you, I want to encourage you to practise kindness on yourself first. 

For a long time, I have put the well-being of others before mine and it took a toll on me. All the energy I had went into helping and supporting others. Despite feeling good about myself – thinking I did a great job – I neglected my needs which caused my well-being to suffer. Still, I thought I was doing the right thing by being selfless. One thing led to another and I had no energy to help anyone.

Consequently, I needed to find a solution to escape the vicious cycle. What has helped me to understand is that my value does not depend on helping others, but on how I treat myself. Every day I have a certain energy level to spend throughout the day. I use the biggest chunk of my energy to maintain my well-being. If there is some energy left, I am happy to use it in order to support others. 

As a female being, I learned early to put others’ needs before mine, but this is a draining way of life. You come first because you are the only one who can take responsibility for yourself, particularly your well-being.

Being kind is not only a matter of making the world a better place, it is primarily to make your own life better. Because you deserve it.