Random acts of kindness, by definition, are meant to be random and unexpected. Whether it be a pleasant smile to a perfect stra
nger, or helping someone heavily-laden with shopping bags carry something to their cars, these are simple things we are all capable of doing (Just don’t be creepy about it!)
Last year, I participated in the inaugural “Feel Good February Create Date” and spent a fun afternoon getting crafty with friends (and in the process, made some new friends). We made a variety of gifts, based on our individual talents and interests, that were then left in public places for strangers to find and keep, or to pass on and shared with others.
Founded in Sydney in 2015 by my friend, Linda Lokhee Pang, Feel Good Feb‘s mission statement is simple: “to encourage and inspire people to initiate random acts of kindness for their fellow community members.” This should be as basic as breathing.
That is why it is wonderful to be reminded, just as we are all settling into our annual new year’s resolutions, to not just focus on our physical health (logging more hours at the gym so far, anyone?), but on our mental and emotional health as well. After all, “feeling good” comes from within, and helping others feel good will also make you feel good, I guarantee it!
Like last year’s Create Date, the 2018 event was attended by friends, families and complete strangers who just wanted to participate in helping others feel good. As we sat around the table being all crafty, my friend Danielle commented, on more than one occasion, how therapeutic and fun the whole experience was. In fact, she had such a lovely time she is planning another Create Date later this month to spread the word.
If you are interested in finding out more about Feel Good February, its founder or other suggestions for random acts of kindness, visit their website, follow them on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. And if you’re keen to know more about Linda, who also happens to be a teacher and children’s book author, you can check out her website.
Don’t forget, #BeKind and #FeelGoodFeb always.
You cry for no reason. You feel sad, more often than you show. You can’t get out of bed. You feel like the world is against you or that nothing is going your way. You feel like nobody would notice if you weren’t there. You feel anxious about the smallest things.
It’s nice to see a lot more open discussions about mental health in recent years, but the stigma attached to mental illness is still strong. I’m not saying that having a bad day here and there means you are mentally ill. In fact, I think it’s perfectly normal to have a bad moment or a bad day now and then. Nobody’s life is perfect. I would tend to think there’s something missing in your synapses if you were just happy all the time.
Believe it or not, we are already past a third of 2017. Yes, it is true! At the start of the year, I set a few simple goals for myself that I had hoped would become a lifelong habit rather than just the usual “New Year’s resolutions” that are usually discarded and forgotten soon after they are made. Well, to recap, here are those goals:
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