Acts of kindness involve selflessly helping others, making a positive impact and creating real connections through small, thoughtful actions.
A beginner's guide to: Acts of kindness
good deeds, altruism, charitable acts
Get started with our acts of kindness practice instructions in our free mobile app
- • Identify focus areas for growth
- • Discover activities for improvement
- • Track and reflect on progress
- • Adjust your wellness routine
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Remember that acts of kindness can be small gestures.
When you're out and about, be attentive to what's happening around you.
Always ask for permission to help before stepping in.
When you are ready, head to our Practice Guides and get started.
Need a hand getting started? Our app is packed with beginner-friendly Practice Instructions for every activity—and way more where that came from. Hit the button up top and get moving.
What are acts of kindness?
Acts of kindness are about more than just being nice – they’re about making real, meaningful connections and being a kind person in your community. Whether it’s helping a neighbour, offering a few encouraging words or supporting a cause you care about, these small, thoughtful actions can truly make a difference. Each act of kindness has the power to lift someone’s spirits, foster a sense of community and even bring a bit of light to someone’s hard day. Ready to start making a difference, one small act at a time? Let’s explore how you can begin your journey of kindness today.
What acts of kindness look like
Why acts of kindness are good for you
Kind acts boost mood and social bonds while enhancing self-belief. You'll likely experience reduced stress, greater emotional clarity and a stronger sense of purpose.
Direct increase in giving habits
Focus area: Generosity (Impact rating: High)
Strong rise in positive mood
Focus area: Lightheartedness (Impact rating: High)
Clear boost to closeness
Focus area: Social connection (Impact rating: High)
Moderate self-esteem lift
Focus area: Identity & worth (Impact rating: Medium)
Moderate stress-buffer
Focus area: Resilience (Impact rating: Medium)
People who love acts of kindness
Mahatma Gandhi
Person
Keanu Reeves
Actor
Marcus Rashford
Sports
Pay It Forward (Movie)
Movie
Real people's experiences
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1 experiences
Starting acts of kindness? Read this first
We bet you’re itching to get some kindness out into the world, but it’s worth thinking about it a bit more deeply first and considering how you might go about it. Acts of kindness can be done in different ways, allowing you to choose a style that aligns with your personality and resources. To get the most out of this activity, these tips will help ensure you're set up for success.
Common styles
Random acts of kindness
Anonymous kindness
Online kindness
Safety
⚠️
Avoid situations where performing an act of kindness could put you or others in harm's way.
What you might experience
🤔
"Will this really make a difference?"
😬
"What if they don’t react well?"
😊
"That felt surprisingly good!"
😊
"I didn’t expect this to brighten my own day!"
💡
"I could do this more often!"
Try acts of kindness today
- • Identify focus areas for growth
- • Discover activities for improvement
- • Track and reflect on progress
- • Adjust your wellness routine
What you need to know about acts of kindness
Let's compare the different ways to start acts of kindness for the first time: self-led (using online guided sources) or in a group.
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Recommendation for first-timer
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Average cost per session
Special equipment required
Potential for socialisation & community
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Unexpected advantages
Ancestry, history, facts and other trivia
Mr. Rogers’ kindness was so influential that he was given a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 1997.
The concept of "random acts of kindness" gained popularity in the 1980s.
In Pay It Forward (2000), a boy tries to change the world through random acts of kindness.
World Kindness Day was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement.
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3 facts
Popular memes
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9 memes
Academic research we rate
Practicing Other-Focused Kindness and Self-Focused Kindness Among Those at Risk for Mental Illness: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Nelson-Coffey, S. K., Bohlmeijer, E. T., & Schotanus-Dijkstra, M. (2021). Practicing Other-Focused Kindness and Self-Focused Kindness Among Those at Risk for Mental Illness: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.741546
Comparing the effects of performing and recalling acts of kindness
Ko, K., Margolis, S., Revord, J., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2019). Comparing the effects of performing and recalling acts of kindness. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(1), 73–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2019.1663252
Rewards of kindness? A meta-analysis of the link between prosociality and well-being.
Hui, B. P. H., Ng, J. C. K., Berzaghi, E., Cunningham-Amos, L. A., & Kogan, A. (2020). Rewards of kindness? A meta-analysis of the link between prosociality and well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 146(12), 1084–1116. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000298
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7 research pieces
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