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Friday 13th November marks World Kindness Day. 2020 has been a challenging year for most people, so this year more than ever, it’s important to be kind to ourselves and spread kindness to others.
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” - Caroline Flack
1. Tell someone how much they mean to you
It’s easy to take for granted those who mean the most to us. Take 5 minutes to send a text, write a note, or make a call to someone special – it’s sure to bring a smile to their face!
2. Find 15 minutes in your day to do something for you
A busy day can often pass where you’ve spent all your time doing things for others – getting your children ready for school, helping colleagues at work, making dinner for your family. Find just 15 minutes today to do something that’s just for you; read a book, listen to music, make a coffee or just sit quietly.
“Self-care is not selfish” - Eleanor Brownn
3. Speak to yourself as you’d speak to your friend
You’re unlikely to tell a friend they look ugly or berate a colleague for not getting enough work done in a day, but we often do this to ourselves. Next time you go to speak to yourself unkindly, think about how you’d speak to someone else.
4. Teach a young person how to be kind
Nurturing kindness in young people will ensure kindness lives on through the years. If you're a teacher, try using our Kindness Classroom Checklist with your students!
5. Pledge to make the world a better place
With many problems to be solved across the world, it can seem a daunting task to solve them. But we all have a role to play in making the world a better place. Pledge to reduce your environmental impact, make a donation to a charity or sign a petition about a cause you’re passionate about.
6. Pay someone a compliment
Give a compliment to a friend, stranger, or colleague. It could make their day, week or year!
“Throw kindness around like confetti!” - Bob Goff
7. Give yourself a compliment
You deserve a compliment too! Think of at least 3 nice things to say to yourself, write these down somewhere you can easily refer to when you need reminding (pop them in your wallet, stick up by your mirror, or save as a note on your phone).
8. Give some positive feedback
People are quick to complain when something goes wrong, but it’s easy to forget the positives. Have you received really great customer service in a shop recently? Or had a delicious meal at a restaurant? Drop them a quick email to say thank you, small businesses could do with a boost at the moment.
9. Smile at a stranger
Smiling is infectious. As you walk to work, round the shops, or pop out for lunch, smile at whoever you encounter and see if you can pass the smile on.
“Smile to change the world. Don’t let the world change your smile.” - Unknown
10. Treat yourself
Treat yourself to a long bath, buy that book you’ve been wanting for a while, make your favourite dinner, or watch your favourite film with a yummy treat!
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Our weekly act of kindness is sending our top five positive education news stories from around the sector. You can sign up to recieve these by clicking here!
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