With everything that’s going on in the world these days, it seems like we could all benefit from a little more kindness in our lives. That’s why we invite you to celebrate Be Kind to Humankind (BK2HK) Week! This annual celebration of kindness is recognized globally from August 25-31st each year. In August 1988, Lorraine Jarra was moved to action after hearing a tragic story about a boating accident in her hometown. She decided to create Be Kind to Humankind Week to encourage people to reflect on what we can each do to help make the world a better place. For more information, visit Be Kind To Humankind Week.
The entire week of BK2HK celebrates a different theme each day, guiding people on how they can be a kinder human. Below are some suggested activities you can do!
Touch a Heart Tuesday (August 25th)
- Mail an uplifting card to someone
- Offer a compliment
- Be a good listener
Willing to Lend a Hand Wednesday (August 26th)
- Pick up groceries for a homebound person
- Take care of a neighbor’s pet when they are away
- Volunteer for community projects
Thoughtful Thursday (August 27th)
- Invite a friend/relative over for lunch
- Allow a person with fewer groceries than yourself to go ahead of you on line
- Try to be more conscientious of others feelings
Forgive Your Foe Friday (August 28th)
- Try to understand why people may act or behave a certain way
- Meditate and practice mindfulness
- Find quiet time each day to connect to your feelings
Speak Kind Words Saturday (August 29th)
- Teach your children to speak kindly towards others by example
- Bite your tongue before you allow an unkind comment out
- Be aware of not only what you say but how you say it
Sacrifice Our Wants for Others’ Needs Sunday (August 30th)
- Instead of spending your money on something you don’t necessarily need, donate it
- Pick up groceries for someone who can’t go to the store themselves
Motorist Consideration Monday (August 31st)
- Don’t carry over your personal anger into road rage
- Put your phone down while driving
- Allow another driver to come out in front of you in a line of heavy traffic
Resources
If you are interested in reading more about kindness and the impacts it can have, check out these Hoopla recommendations!
Be Kind by Melissa Burmester
Produced in partnership with the nonprofit organization kindness.org, Be Kind emboldens you to try an act of kindness every week for a year, benefiting others and yourself while deepening connections in your community big and small.
Go Be Kind: 28 ½ Adventures Guaranteed to Make You Happier by Leon Logothetis
Go Be Kind isn’t just a journal or another how-to guide to getting what you want. It’s a series of daily adventures that will help you rediscover the greatest human gift – kindness, ultimately connecting you with others and helping you create a happier and more magnificent life. Because once we start being kind, we realize that there is no faster way to happiness. It will change how you see the world, how you connect with other people, and how you connect with yourself.
The Kindness Handbook by Sharon Salzberg
In The Kindness Handbook, Sharon Salzberg explores with insight and clarity how kindness for ourselves and others can be the quality we choose to steer our lives by. This book features a thoughtful collection of anecdotes, stories, and practical tools to inspire kindness for any life situation. The Kindness Handbook is your personal companion to explore the rich landscape of kindness – and help you see just how it might shift and open up your life to greater joy, meaning, and compassion
A Passion for Kindness by Tamara Letter
In a fast-paced era of technological advances and digitized experiences, it’s easy to miss simple opportunities to strengthen our humanity. But when we watch for and respond to those moments with kindness, even tiny actions can renew hope and reveal compassion and gratitude. Through personal stories of vulnerability and vitality, you will discover unique ways you can make a positive difference in the lives of friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, and even strangers.
The Kindness Cure by Tara Cousineau
It’s time for a kindness revolution! In The Kindness Cure, psychologist Tara Cousineau draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to show how simple practices of kindness – for ourselves, for others, and for our world – can dissolve our feelings of fear and indifference, and open us up to a life of profound happiness. Kindness has the exponential power to renew relationships and transform how we think, feel, and behave in the world. Will you be a part of the revolution?
Kindness Rocks Journal by Megan Murphy
The Kindness Rocks Project, founded by Megan Murphy, is based on the profound truth that one kind message at the right moment can change someone’s day, their outlook, and their whole life. The messages on these thoughtful pebbles take many forms: gratitude, affirmations, encouragement, offers of hope, all signposts along the way for someone to find at exactly the right time. The Kindness Rocks Journal provides a positive counteraction to all this negativity. Learn to be kinder to yourself and others. Sometimes, all it takes is just one simple positive message to change your perspective and that is what this interactive journal aims to do.
