Every year on October 5, National Do Something Nice Day gives us a simple challenge: do something kind for someone else.
It doesn’t have to be expensive. It doesn’t have to take hours. And it certainly doesn’t have to be something that gets posted online for everyone to see.
Sometimes the nicest things we can do are the smallest.
Send a message to someone who has been struggling. Hold the door for a stranger. Buy someone a cup of coffee. Tell a coworker you appreciate them. Call a family member you haven’t spoken to recently. Check on the friend who always seems to be checking on everyone else.
A small act of kindness may take only a few seconds, but you never know how much it could mean to the person receiving it.
National Do Something Nice Day is a reminder that kindness still matters.
What Is National Do Something Nice Day?
Observed on October 5, National Do Something Nice Day encourages people to intentionally perform acts of kindness.
The idea couldn’t be much simpler.
Find someone and do something nice for them.
Our lives can become incredibly busy. We have jobs, families, bills, responsibilities, appointments, problems, and countless other things competing for our attention. Sometimes we become so focused on getting through our own day that we forget to notice the people around us.
This day gives us an opportunity to change that.
Look around.
Someone may need encouragement.
Someone may need help.
Someone may simply need to know that another person notices them.
You don’t have to solve someone’s problems to make their day a little better.
Sometimes kindness is enough.
Kindness Doesn’t Have to Cost Anything
When people think about doing something nice, they sometimes imagine buying gifts, donating money, or paying for someone’s meal.
Those are wonderful acts of kindness, but money isn’t required.
Some of the most meaningful things we can give another person are completely free.
Give someone your time.
Give someone your attention.
Give someone encouragement.
Give someone forgiveness.
Give someone a compliment.
Give someone a chance to talk without interrupting them.
Give someone a reason to believe they aren’t alone.
Those things don’t cost anything, yet they can be incredibly valuable.
Small Acts Can Have a Big Impact
We rarely know everything another person is experiencing.
The cashier ringing up your groceries might be worried about a sick family member.
Your coworker might be struggling financially.
Your neighbor might be lonely.
Your friend who hasn’t answered your messages might be dealing with something they haven’t told anyone about.
The person sitting quietly at the restaurant might be grieving someone they love.
Everyone carries something.
That is one reason kindness matters so much.
You might think you’re simply saying, “I hope you have a great day.”
To someone else, those might be the first kind words they’ve heard all day.
You might think you’re just sending a quick text saying, “I was thinking about you.”
To the person receiving it, that message might arrive at exactly the moment they needed someone.
We don’t always get to see the impact of kindness.
That doesn’t mean the impact isn’t there.
Check on the Person Who Seems Strong
There is another type of kindness that deserves attention today.
Check on the people who always seem strong.
We naturally reach out to someone when we know they’re struggling. But some people become very good at hiding what they’re carrying.
They’re the ones helping everybody else.
They’re making people laugh.
They’re showing up for work.
They’re taking care of their families.
They’re telling everyone, “I’m fine.”
Sometimes the strongest-looking person in the room is quietly fighting a battle nobody knows about.
Send them a message.
Ask how they’re really doing.
And when they answer, listen.
That alone can be an incredible act of kindness.
20 Ways to Do Something Nice Today
If you’re looking for inspiration, here are some simple ways to celebrate National Do Something Nice Day:
- Send an encouraging text to someone.
- Call a family member just to say hello.
- Buy coffee for the person behind you.
- Give someone a sincere compliment.
- Hold the door open for a stranger.
- Thank someone who doesn’t hear “thank you” often enough.
- Leave a positive review for a local business.
- Help a neighbor with something around their home.
- Donate food to a local food bank.
- Let someone go ahead of you in line.
- Send someone a handwritten note.
- Tell a friend how much you appreciate them.
- Pick up litter in your neighborhood.
- Tip a little extra if you’re able.
- Donate clothing you no longer need.
- Offer to help someone with a difficult task.
- Forgive someone for a small mistake.
- Smile and say hello to someone who looks lonely.
- Check on someone who has been grieving or struggling.
- Do something kind anonymously.
You don’t need to do all twenty.
Just choose one.
One act of kindness is better than a hundred good intentions.
Don’t Forget the People Who Are Grieving
National Do Something Nice Day is also an opportunity to remember people experiencing grief.
Grief can be incredibly lonely.
After someone loses a loved one, there is often an initial wave of support. People call. They send messages. They bring food. They attend the funeral.
Then life begins moving forward for everyone else.
But the grieving person is still grieving.
Weeks become months.
Months become years.
The phone may stop ringing as often, but the person who died hasn’t stopped being loved or missed.
If you know someone who has lost a child, spouse, parent, sibling, friend, or another person they deeply loved, consider reaching out today.
You don’t need perfect words.
You can simply say:
“I was thinking about you today.”
Or:
“I know you still miss them. I’m here.”
Sometimes acknowledging someone’s grief is one of the kindest things you can do.
Kindness Can Become Contagious
One beautiful thing about kindness is that it often keeps moving.
Someone buys your coffee.
Later, you help someone carry their groceries.
That person goes home and checks on a neighbor.
The neighbor calls a lonely family member.
One action leads to another.
You may never know where the chain ends.
That’s the power of kindness.
It doesn’t always stop with the person receiving it.
Sometimes kindness reminds people that there is still goodness in the world, and they decide to pass some of that goodness along.
Be Kind When Nobody Is Watching
There is an important difference between performing kindness and being kind.
Social media has made it possible to share almost every part of our lives. Sometimes sharing good deeds can inspire others to help, which can be positive.
But kindness doesn’t require an audience.
Some of the most meaningful things you’ll ever do for another person may never receive recognition.
Nobody will applaud.
Nobody will click “like.”
Nobody will share the story.
The person you helped might be the only person who ever knows what you did.
That’s okay.
Do good because someone needs goodness—not because someone else is watching.
Kindness Doesn’t Mean Agreeing With Everyone
Being kind also doesn’t mean you must agree with everyone.
We will encounter people with different beliefs, backgrounds, personalities, lifestyles, experiences, and opinions.
Disagreement doesn’t require cruelty.
You can stand firmly for what you believe while still treating another human being with dignity.
In a world where disagreements can quickly turn into insults, sometimes one of the nicest things we can do is remember the humanity of the person on the other side of the conversation.
Listen.
Be respectful.
Know when to walk away.
Choose not to return cruelty with cruelty.
Kindness isn’t weakness.
Sometimes it takes far more strength to remain kind.
Maybe You Need Some Kindness Too
There is one person we sometimes forget when talking about kindness:
ourselves.
You can spend so much time caring for everyone else that you forget you’re human too.
Maybe you’ve made mistakes.
Maybe life hasn’t turned out the way you expected.
Maybe you’re grieving.
Maybe you’re exhausted.
Maybe you’re trying to rebuild your life.
Maybe you’re simply doing the best you can with what you have.
Give yourself some grace.
Rest when you need to rest.
Ask for help when you need help.
Stop expecting yourself to have everything figured out.
Doing something nice for yourself isn’t selfish when it helps you continue showing up for the people and responsibilities that matter.
Don’t Let Kindness End on October 5
National Do Something Nice Day lasts only one day.
The idea behind it shouldn’t.
Imagine what would happen if each of us intentionally did one nice thing every day.
One compliment.
One phone call.
One encouraging message.
One helping hand.
One moment of patience.
One act of generosity.
One person reminded that they matter.
Over the course of a year, that’s 365 opportunities to make someone’s day a little better.
Multiply that by thousands—or millions—of people, and small acts don’t seem so small anymore.
Final Thoughts
National Do Something Nice Day isn’t complicated.
You don’t need money.
You don’t need a big plan.
You don’t need recognition.
You just need to notice another human being and decide to make their day a little better.
Maybe someone in your life needs encouragement today.
Maybe someone needs forgiveness.
Maybe someone needs a meal.
Maybe someone needs a phone call.
Maybe someone who has been carrying grief needs to hear the name of the person they miss.
Maybe a stranger simply needs a smile.
Whatever you choose, don’t underestimate what a small act of kindness can accomplish.
You may forget the nice thing you did five minutes later, while the person you helped remembers it for years.
So today, on National Do Something Nice Day, look for an opportunity to make someone’s world a little brighter.
Then tomorrow, do it again.
What is one nice thing you can do for someone today?
Leave a Reply