What is Random Acts of Kindness Day?
Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Day is an annual celebration of kindness co-ordinated by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, which this year is taking place on Saturday 17th February 2024. The day takes place in the middle of Random Acts of Kindness Week, which this year is running from 11th – 17th February 2024, and both celebrate and raise awareness of kindness, because we know everyone can use more kindness in their lives. Scientific evidence shows us the positive effects of doing kind acts for others as well as receiving or even witnessing kindness. Even the smallest act of kindness can change a life. The 2024 events encourage us to Make Kindness the Norm.
Acts of kindness take place every day and when we hear of them, they are beautiful and heartwarming, but mostly they give us hope. Seemingly insignificant moments where a stranger helps another stranger impacts the rest of their life with a small gesture. When we tune into kindness happening around us, the day seems a little bit brighter. The week seems a little more manageable. Want to explore the good and get inspired by kindness stories? Click here.
Why take part?
You may recognise the expression “it is better to give than receive”, but did you know this is backed up by research? People who are kind and compassionate see clear benefits to their wellbeing and happiness. They may even live longer. Being kind to others can also help reduce stress and improve our emotional wellbeing.
Through the 5 Ways to Wellbeing it has been proven that by doing something nice for a friend, family member or a stranger can actually help to improve your own health and wellbeing. Want to know more about how helping others can help you? Click here to read the Kindness Matters Guide from the Mental Health Foundation! So whether you volunteer your time, help out someone in need or thank someone, the smallest action can make a difference, and not only will you be helping to improve someone else’s wellbeing, but you might also see improvements to your own.
What can I do?
You can help Make Kindness the Norm by spreading it in the simplest ways. Random Acts of Kindness have developed lots of useful ideas which you can use during the week and day so that you can do things that you feel comfortable with and will help you to improve your own health and wellbeing, while helping others. Ideas include what you can do:
- With animals
- In your community
- For the enironment
- To involve kids
- Online
- In your school
- At your place of work
The Mental Health Foundation have developed a guide to show the positive impact helping others can have on your own mental health, including some tips and suggestions to inspire you. Click here to visit the Mental Health Foundation website to read the guide.
For more resources to help you make kindness the norm in your; school, work, community and home, click here to visit the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation website.
Whatever you do to get involved with the campaign, or if you’re carrying your kindness forward into your month or trying to integrate it into everyday, you can post about it online to let everyone know how you are helping others by posting with: #MakeKindnessTheNorm #RandomActsofKindnessDay to help your community understand the importance of doing nice things for others.
Want to do more than one week or day?
Random Acts of Kindness calendars have been developed to help you to try to do good things for other people more often and incorporate new activities into your daily life. When using the calendars, you don’t have to complete something everyday but you may feel the benefits of completing a random act of kindness a few days a week. Follow the links below to download the calendars:
- Kindness at Work 2024 calendar
- Kindness at home 2024 calendar
- Kindness at School 2024 calendar
- Friendly February – February 2024 calendar
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation have designed a fun kindness challenge to help make kindness the norm at home & in your neighbourhood. Your challenge (if you choose to accept it) is to complete a series of kindness activities to fill in 60 ‘hearts’. There’s a good mix of activities: various random acts of kindness meant to be done in your home & neighbourhood, writing prompts, self-care activities and fun colouring pages too. You choose which activities to do and when to do them—so no pressure. Click here to download a challenge booklet now.
Check out the video below for more on making kindness the norm.
