RISE Blog | Kindess: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Written By: Kylie Crowe & Giana Matheny, Peer Educators
Edited By: Evangeline Flores
February 21st, 2025

Have you ever felt down, only to receive a sudden compliment that brightened your day? Even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference. Kindness is all about being helpful and uplifting, and while it may be challenging, practicing this skill can bring a positive change to both your life and those around you.

It starts with you

Sometimes, life gets so busy we tend to push aside personal needs until everything else is done. This is completely normal! We live in a pressure-filled environment, which can lead to us feeling very overwhelmed. Typically, this feeling of being overwhelmed can lead to tiredness or even short-temperedness. Being kind is a skill that starts with you. When you prioritize self-care, you’re typically going to be in a better mood, and that positivity translates into kindness-even if you don’t notice it. Generally, people will also criticize themselves over messing up, but it’s important to remember we are all human. If you realize that you are criticizing yourself over a mistake then you should take some time to pause, reflect, and change your mindset to something more uplifting like, “I messed up, but I learned from my mistake, and I can do better next time."

Something as small as changing your mindset in the moment can lead to a better outcome on your mental health. This can lead to you being kinder to others. According to a study done at Harvard that measured people's happiness before and after the study, the people that showed kindness to someone every day for 7 days reported feeling happier at the end of the study (Brodrick 2019). Overall, choosing to be kind will not only affect you, but it will also affect those around you.

Practical Ways to Be Kind

The best news? Kindness is completely free. In a world where everything comes with a price tag, it’s refreshing to remember all the valuable things we can contribute to one another. There are many ways to show kindness to those around you. Quick compliments such as “I like your outfit!” or “Your hair is beautiful!” can have a huge impact on someone having a really bad day. We all know how hectic and stressful our daily lives can be. So, why not use kindness more often? Smile at a stranger and send a kind message wherever you go. The world could always use more thoughtful gestures, and you have endless to share. Getting a compliment on your outfit as you're on your way to a big test or presentation can make all the difference. 

How Small Acts Create Big Impacts

A handful of studies have been conducted on the feelings we get after giving and receiving compliments. A Cornell Social Psychologist Vanessa Bohn's conducted an experiment on a college campus. Surveys indicated that the person giving the compliment often underestimated the positive impact it had on the receiver (The Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, 2021). There is an unlimited number of ways to spread kindness within your daily life. Some other small things you can try out expressing more gratitude and appreciation for others. This could be small things like saying “Thank you” more often. You can even volunteer and give back to your community. As well as reaching out to a friend you haven't spoken to in awhile. Simply letting people know you are thinking of them is the perfect way to practice kindness.

Kindness is much stronger than you think. Being kind has its benefits not only for the receiver but also for the giver. Various research studies conducted by the Mental Health Foundation suggest that kindness and mental health go hand in hand. Even just recalling kind things we have done for other people can positively impact our wellbeing. So, what are some of the benefits? Spreading kindness can help you make a new friend or strengthen preexisting relationships. Striking up a conversation or asking about someone's day could create a friendship that could last a lifetime.

Strengthening Connections and Well-Being

When going through tough times we tend to reach out to others for support. This is called a “tend-and-befriend” response (Mental Health Foundation). Through social connection with others, kindness can be both a stress and an anxiety reliever. Reliving stress can lead to lower blood pressure levels, improving your mental and physical health. Kindness can also boost dopamine and serotonin in your brain! These are your brain's feel-good chemicals that improve your feelings of well-being. Overall, both giving and receiving acts of kindness can have a positive impact on one's mental and physical health. Random acts of kindness versus intentional acts of kindness can make a person feel great but, which act has a greater impact on a person? Researcher Dr. Lara Kanin tells us that intentional acts have a greater impact on a person because not only are they being kind, but they also know and understand the impact of their act. 

As stated previously, even volunteering is an act of kindness which happens to fall under the category of intentional. Generally, acts of kindness will also have a greater impact when you receive feedback on how it made the other person/people feel, which is more easily obtained through intentional acts. With this consideration, it does not mean you will not benefit from random acts as well. The impact of intentional acts is typically larger and has longer lasting effects. The quote “If kindness can’t be entirely intentional or planned, at least it can be mindful” (Cheryl Strayed) is a great quote for your daily life. Kindness not only impacts you and the other person, but it will also slowly affect the community. If we all implement kindness in our everyday lives, then how would our lives change for the better? 

Kindness is not difficult to achieve whether it is intentional or just a random act. The impact it has on a person is beyond what’s talked about not only for you but for the community. Taking just a few moments from your day to be kind is all it takes to initiate positive change in the life of yourself and others. Spread kindness wherever you go because you never know when someone might need it most.

Resources

• Student Mental Health Community

  • 806.742.2110 | rise@ttu.edu | Northeast Corner of 2nd Floor of Weeks Hall
• Student Health Services
  • 806.743.2848 | Studenthealthservices@ttuhsc.edu | 1003 Flint (Corner of Flint
    and Main) Lubbock, TX 79409
• Student Success Specialists
  • 806.742.5928 | studentengagement@ttu.edu | Drane Hall 1st Floor, Box 45020

References:

Brodrick, M. (2019). The Heart and Science of Kindness. Harvard Health Blog.

Dobuzinskis C. Random Acts of Kindness Versus Planned Generosity. (2021). Charitable Impact.

Fagan, A. (2021). The Psychology of Compliments: A Nice Word Goes a Long Way. Psychology Today.

Mental Health Foundation. (n.d.). Kindness Research Briefing. 

 

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