This practice is part of the
Time Required
Varies depending on your acts of kindness. Could be anywhere from several minutes to several hours.
How to Do It
One day this week, perform five acts of kindness—all five in one day. It doesn’t matter if the acts are big or small, but it is more powerful if you perform a variety of acts.
The acts do not need to be for the same person—the person doesn’t even have to be aware of them. Examples include feeding a stranger's parking meter, picking up litter, helping a friend with a chore, or providing a meal to a person in need.
After each act, write down what you did in at least one or two sentences; for more of a happiness boost, also write down how it made you feel.
Why You Should Try It
We all perform acts of kindness at one time or another. These acts may be large or small, and their beneficiaries may not even be aware of them. Yet their effects can be profound—not only on the recipient but on the giver, as well. This exercise asks you to perform five acts of kindness in one day as a way of cultivating feelings of kindness and happiness in yourself, so that you can extend kindness to your local community and the world.
Why It Works
Researchers believe this practice makes you feel happier because it makes you think more highly of yourself and become more aware of positive social interactions. It may also increase your kind, helpful attitudes and tendencies toward others in your family or your community. Evidence suggests that variety is key: There's a risk that kindness can start to feel routine, so it helps to approach it with a spirit of curiosity, always looking for new ways to express your care and kindness and looking for new people to help.
Evidence That It Works
Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 111-131.
Study participants who performed five acts of kindness every week for six weeks saw a significant boost in happiness, but only if they performed their five acts in a single day rather than spread out over each week. This may be because many acts of kindness are small, so spreading them out might make them harder to remember and savor.
Sources
Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., University of California, Riverside
Quick Description
Performing Random Acts of Kindness not only helps others but can boost your happiness, as well. How kind and generous are you? Take the Altruism quiz to find out:
Comments
and Reviews
Adam Brown
A work colleague lost her swipe card some time ago, I met her outside at her start time to let her in. I always feel good when I help her out as we have become close
Michelle Bartolick
I enjoyed doing this
Yingyue Liu
I kept this idea in mind and came back reflecting on what acts count as kindness. It raised my appreciation to both my life and myself. I feel more close to the people who interacted with me.
Emily Ebsen
good
Drew Becker
More than robotic aktion der Kindnesslich we should have open eyes and an open heart. If you do I guarantee you will SEE someone in need of kindness and FEEL that you can do something, and then HELP because every cell in your body knows it's the right thing to do. It's not the domain of saints, it's the dialogue of our hearts unsilenced.
Drew Becker
I'm a frontline outreach worker (bringing ppl back from overdose, wound care on the homeless, giving out necessities, being a counsellor, doing system navigation to help ppl find a home, medical care, work etc) so I put my life in danger (60% of the people I deal with are covid positive & then there's stabbings and meth rages etc) to help others every day. This challenge doesn't consider that this may be part of someone's life already and maybe they need self care not faux-care (to me if ppl actually feel compassion it doesn't take a web page to tell them to help, they have no choice but to help. It's good to get people to try it but I wonder about ppl who don't feel a marrow deep need to help, are they not also humans?)
melissa
I felt more whole giving a part of me to another
Al Wright
5 acts in a day is pretty difficult. I rarely see 5 people in a day. Also, if I have to plan the acts, they don't seem so 'random'. It starts to feel like 'manipulating people into thinking I'm nice (when I'm not).
Donna Edge
I felt good doing nice things for other people
Donna Edge
I felt good doing nice things for other people
Donna Edge
I felt good doing nice things for other people
Kimberly Ann Printz
You have two different sets of instructions! Five in one day, or one a day?
Eui Wongkabai
ครับผม
Trina moore
People looked startled, happy, and wondered. That made me feel very good
Trina moore
It showed me that practicing acts of kindness. Makes me feel almost better then the kindness that I show others.
Trina moore
It made me feel great!
Linda Taney
Love this suggestion and I am trying to do it every day.
Linda Taney
Love this suggestion and I am trying to do it every day.
Trisha Picknell Kinney
Love this podcast and this Greater Good in Action program! What a wonderful, positive effort - I am about to record a short podcast episode and plan to pass this great wisdom along. Thank you for making the world a better place!
Debra Smith Elkanick
Today I engaged in conversation with a worker at Kroger I made her laugh and smile
Laura Townsend
I tend to be one who enjoys sharing Random Acts of Kindness. I find it gives me a rush of "giver's glow," but it doesn't necessarily stick with me. I don't often know what the lasting impact of my act of kindness is so the glow diminishes quickly.
María Elena González Rivera
It made me feel peaceful / inside my heart...... especially when you help someone you don't know, I believe that you are giving them a little bit of hope and you get the best part......find yourself your life purpose......
Beth Beauchamp
It brings me great joy to be kind. Its simple. Staying in the present moment to be with people and honestly care is such a gift. Just hard to remember to cultivate the habit of awareness in the present. Process, not perfection!
Patrick Clancey
I've always struggled with the 'random' part of random acts of kindness. I prefer to find new ways to be kind to people whom i care for.
Hazel Rees
We are in lockdown here so had to do my acts of kindness in work. I gave someone a lift. Loaned another person my gloves, sorted out the drawers in a filing cabinet because it kept toppling over, made a colleague a cup of coffee. I also held someone after they’d received a very upsetting text message. I need to try this practice again and again. It prompted me to buy a book on kindness that has ideas of things you can do.
Maxine Dumaran
It brought me joy. It also allowed me to appreciate more, the things I have been given, so that I can be a blessing to others.
Anna Barker
Living & giving daily = h♥️w to BE!
Peter Barnett
I actually do a lot of RAK so this is both building on “success” and I’m thinking out of the box abt random and kindness. Feels good, affirming and other-centered and without being too cognitive about it makes me think about the range of what kindness “is”.
Danielle Williams
It was ok I like doing thing for other out of the love I have for life
Danielle Williams
It was very easy because it help other feel good by being nice, or just being there to talk, or doing thing with older people make a big difference
Lori Stottler
I work with young adults on the spectrum and with learning differences We have been having a week of RAK around our Center and it has been a meaningful experience for them and myself. I have found a week of performing small acts for others has significantly boosted my mood!
Andrea Devitt
great - thank you.
Shannon Alicia Montgomery
This is difficult because I'm unable to drive, am dependent on others for even getting dressed right now... it's painful to feel like my world is so small. I sent my grandmother a card and left reviews for a few small businesses, but I feel pretty darn useless to the world right now.
Cintia Arbulú Ahumada
It felt good. Also, it showed me how hard I can be with myself sometimes (since I recognized myself understimating my actions, thoughts like "it was not powerful enough", "anyone could have done the same". Finally, due the querenteen it was more challenging to find acts of kindness to do
Ewa Celinska
Ordering a cream cake for my husband
Sam Tim-Billy
Hard to do this while working at home during Covid-19 as I don’t interact with many people (outside of Zoom meetings)
Julia Fuentes
I've been doing this practice since I can remember my existence, I always knew that it was the biggest gift God have giving me, my caring heart, and I love it, and I'm forever grateful for that gift, however sometimes, I just wish I felt happy and completed, and not sad as I many times feel, deeply sad...specially when I think that what I've given or can give, its not enough.
Sandra
I'm going to try it this week with my kids.
Sandra
I'm going to try it this week with my kids.
Patricia
I’m doing this one with my kids this week. I’ll let you know how it goes...
Exygy
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Ann Powell
Really like Loving-Kindness meditation; I try to do it at the start of each day.
Candyce Baptiste
The act of random kindness is the first one, i lent my friend my adobe creative cloud account when his account got expire and he was having trouble getting on , while he had an assignment due in a couple of days. The second one was opening the doors for anyone who was behind me, the third one was giving up my sit for seniors or for people in need, the fourth thing was when my friend forgot her lunch at home, i bought her lunch for her and told her she doesn't have to pay me back and the last act of random kindness is helped my mom make halloween loot bags for everyone at her work, when she was tired.
Jenny zegarra
Feeding homeless people make me feel very happy for them, thinking that they have something in their stomag before they sleep in the cold weather. I did talk to my kids that this winter we are going to feed homeless people with bread and hot chocolate, they are happy to know that we can help as litle it is but for them is something.
The Greater Good Toolkit
Made in collaboration with Holstee, this tookit includes 30 science-based practices for a meaningful life.
The Greater Good Toolkit
Made in collaboration with Holstee, this tookit includes 30 science-based practices for a meaningful life.