The Kindness Calendar

It’s a new month. The final month of 2020. We’ve been waiting to say goodbye to 2020 like that would be the end of this pandemic life. It doesn’t look like that’s ending anytime soon.

2020 has been HARD on all of us in different ways. Remember in the beginning, when this first started, and it felt like we were united in the fight? Signs in windows offering encouragement and strength. Support for our health care workers and those essential workers. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen something like that. It doesn’t mean we stop looking.

I want to encourage you to keep looking for the good. I love the Sarnia Lambton Holiday Lights Tour Facebook page. So many people have put up lights this year. And holiday displays with giant inflatables that are bringing so much joy. That’s what I love about Sarnia. Ultimately, we are in this together, no matter what you think about it. We’re in it and we have to remember we are in it together and we have to remember to keep looking for ways to be kind to each other, even if we disagree.

I was excited to hear about a Kindness Calendar. It was started in the UK.  Action for Happiness, a UK based organization has created a Kindness Calendar! A chance to check off every day of December with a new act of kindness. The calendar, which can be downloaded and printed for free, has been designed to boost our mental health and happiness at the same time. Scientific evidence suggests that there is a ‘virtuous circle’ of giving ― doing things for others makes us happier, and being happier makes us more likely to do things for others.

Mark Williamson, CEO of Action for Happiness, said: “This is an unusual holiday season and it’s been a challenging year. Although we can’t change our situation or control big global events, we can choose to respond to others and ourselves with kindness. Our Kindness Calendar is a reminder to prioritize doing things for others while looking after our own mental health at the same time.”

I love that. And it’s easy:

• Give kind comments to as many people as possible today
• Listen to others without judging
• Buy an extra item and donate it to a local food bank
• Support a charity, cause or campaign you really care about
• Notice when you’re hard on yourself or others and be kind instead
• See how many different people you can smile at today
• Contact someone who may be alone or feeling isolated

One act of kindness for every day in December. Pretty neat reminder of how easy it is to spread the kindness!

Categorised in: Afternoons

This post was written by Carrie Buchanan