February and Valentine’s Day is a great time to show love to your partner, friends, coworkers and even strangers. By showing random acts of kindness this month, it will brighten another person’s day and spread the love. Here are some simple ways to perform acts of kindness in your daily life.
Give Compliments
Next time you are standing in line at Starbucks at the EMU, why not compliment the person in front of you? You could compliment their shoes, hair, jewelry or anything else that looks unique. Everyone loves a compliment and you just might make their day by complimenting something that is theirs.
Leave a Generous Tip
Servers work off tips so be kind and give a generous one for good service. Be extra generous if they are working on a holiday, like Valentine’s Day. There are so many workers who make minimum wage and deserve more for their hard work. Show a little appreciation for what they do when you can afford it!
Let Someone Cut in Line
Standing in line sucks, especially if you only have a couple items and the person in front of you has a cart full. Keep an eye out the next time you are at the grocery store and if someone has less items than you, let them go ahead of you. They might be in a hurry and are sure to appreciate the generosity.
Hold the Door Open
When walking into school for class, hold the door open for anyone behind you. It is a nice gesture that more people should do. It is a simple act of kindness that the person will appreciate and is a lot nicer than letting the door close right behind you.
Hang Out with Your New Roommate or Neighbor
Moving into a new house, or even transferring to a new school, can be stressful. Add to that the stress of meeting new roommates or neighbors and trying to make friends with them and the stress load amplifies. Make it easy on the people around you and suggest grabbing coffee or showing them the local places to hang out. This will make the transition easier for them and you just might make a new friend too.
Congratulate a Coworker
If a coworker recently got a raise or did outstanding work, show your support and congratulate them. By being kind and friendly, this will make work easier and more enjoyable. By being supportive instead of jealous of their achievements, they will likely congratulate you when you do outstanding work of your own.
Give Your Seat Up for Someone
If you ride the bus to campus, you probably know how crowded it can get and how easily it is to fall if the driver makes a hard stop. If you see someone who is struggling to stay up or is carrying a heavy backpack, offer them your seat. They will appreciate your kindness, and it feels good to take the load off of them
Send a Box of Voodoo Donuts to a Construction Site
Construction workers work hard for hours on end doing manual labor. The UO constantly has workers who put in huge amounts of effort to make campus look as good as it does. Show your appreciation and bring them a box of Voodoo one morning. They will love the sugar rush on their break and everyone likes to know that their hard work is being appreciated.
