Showing Kindness
In our fast-paced 24 hour driven society our lives may feel incessantly busy. Long lists of things to do and keeping up with everyday demands can be overwhelming and exhausting. Perhaps any spare moments are filled with a quick social media fix. It’s important to remember lots of people feel the exactly the same way as you. So, how might showing kindness benefit you as well as someone else?
Showing kindness towards others has been proven to help you feel better about yourself. Taking time to notice how people are feeling, listening and caring positively impacts your own life. Feeling as though you are making a difference and are connected to other people is a great boost to your self-esteem. Check out our suggestions for showing kindness, will you take action and be kind today?
Remember all those times people have shown kindness towards you!
We have all been on the receiving end of an unexpected compliment when someone has noticed how much effort we have put into a project or done something well. Although we may shy away from praise or minimise our own achievements, in a very British way… it feels great to be acknowledged. Or how about in the Supermarket, when someone notices we have 3 items, they have 30 and let us go ahead of them? Someone showing kindness, even in a small way, enables us to feel valued and considered. They feel good too, it feels empowering to do something nice for someone else.
Messenger, Instagram, email, snapchat…
With so many distractions, bleeps, pings and constant “notifications” often people are permanently reacting to or thinking about checking their phones. As a result, are we listening less? How often are your conversations interrupted? When did you last give someone 100% attention, focusing entirely and exclusively on the conversation? “Just one minute,” has become a common phrase within our conversation. Showing kindness, empathy, consideration and respect for others, by really taking the time to exclusively “listen” will help you understand someone else and better know yourself.
Remember a time in your life when someone showed you kindness. How did it make you feel? An acknowledgement, a treat, a smile, a compliment, being listened to, practical help – we all need to attract kindness into our lives because it feels great! Start by showing kindness towards others, make being actively kind a priority. You and those on the receiving end will feel better for it. Just remember to be genuine and sincere. “If you’re not going to do it with good grace, don’t do it at all!”
Want to find out more about kindness read ‘Kindness – The little things that matter most’ by Jaime Thurston.
