The Life Kit Guide To Being Kind — To Others And To Yourself
There are a lot of cheesy cliches about kindness: it costs nothing but means everything; it's the gift that everyone can afford to give — and those all might be true, but practicing kindness can also be hard. Especially these days.
Maybe you're feeling cooped up, stressed out, spread thin, unsure, or all of the above. Maybe you're so worried about protecting your inner circle that it feels like too much to try and reach out to anyone else. Maybe it feels really hard to be kind when this year or this world has been unkind to you. We see you.
But no matter your situation, raising your kindness quotient is good for your health and your happiness — not to mention good for the world.
You can start with a simple phone call. Give the older friends and family in your life a ring and see how they're doing. COVID-19 has made life a little lonelier for all of us — and lots of older Americans living far from family could use a call. Here's how to check in on your people — and make sure that they're getting what they need during this particularly tough time.
How'd that feel? Ready for a little more? We've got lots of episodes to keep you going, in honor of World Kindness Day on Friday.
Teaching kindness to kids (Apple) (Spotify)
What it really means to show up for a friend who is struggling (Apple) (Spotify)
Strategies for checking in on your older loved ones (Apple) (Spotify)
Ways to give back to your community during COVID-19 (Apple) (Spotify)
Tips for having better conversations (Apple) (Spotify)
Don't forget to show yourself a little compassion, too.
The art of showing up for yourself (Apple) (Spotify)
Why forgiving someone else is really about you (Apple) (Spotify)
If you're anxious, here's a quick tool to center your soul (Apple) (Spotify)
How to be happy, according to science (Apple) (Spotify)
How to start therapy (Apple) (Spotify)
This story is adapted from Life Kit's weekly newsletter, which arrives in inboxes each Friday. Subscribe here.
We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at LifeKit@npr.org. [Copyright 2020 NPR]
