Every single one of us is facing exceptional challenges right now, and you are probably in the minority if you havenât felt somewhat overwhelmed at times. What counts is also letting them know that they’re in your thoughts. Start with these simple tasks during the pandemic. Start with these simple tasks during the pandemic. WASHINGTON (AP) ⦠If we learn anything from this situation it is that kindness can make a difference. The role of compassion and kindness during the pandemic Posted May 20th 2020 Mental Health Awareness Week, which this year has a focus on kindness, reminds us of how being kind, both to ourselves and others, maybe our biggest defence against the consequences of Covid-19. Be kind to yourself by making sure you're healthy in all aspects, starting from your physical health. Helping One Another During the Pandemic Monday: Californians share acts of kindness. So, make being kind and compassionate a priority. During these challenging times, we asked readers to share stories of sweet, unexpected gestures from friends, neighbors and strangers. Claudia wanted to find small actions we can all undertake during the pandemic, and this is a perfect one. And so we must use our secret superpower and we must practice it. Staying positive during a global pandemic isnât the easiest thing to do. What does the world need right now, more than anything else? But itâs also inspiring beautiful acts of kindness around the nation. Sign up now and receive new blog posts to your inbox. As the old saying goes, you canât pour from an empty cup. Kindness often costs very little, yet its value is immense. We are people, human beings deserving of innate, and equal, dignity; but that alone doesn’t seem to guarantee goodwill and positivity anymore, maybe ever. We have curated respected, evidence-informed resources and links to valuable services to support the wellbeing of ⦠It could turn the tide of the entire conversation. First lady urges kindness during holiday clouded by pandemic By DARLENE SUPERVILLE December 8, 2020 1 of 7 First lady Melania Trump offers hand sanitizer to a child as she participates in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots Drive at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. I think the first gossip session went like this in the cave people era: “Did you see that new fur pelt she’s wearing?” “I know, right?” “I think that came from a different hunter’s spear, if you know what I mean.” When folks are bad-mouthing, or even just spreading rumors about someone else, be the one to say something positive. But, since we still live in a pandemic, and that would probably be tough to organize anyway, I’ll settle for something just as good: small acts of kindness that can be practiced safely during these pandemic days. You give them the dopamine and oxytocin boost that we all need right now; kindness really is a two-way street. We can practice, in small, effective steps, kindness, the way a musician practices piano or guitar or the way an athlete practices throwing a football or running a race. It’s World Kindness Week and Friday November 13th is World Kindness Day. The current fight against Covid-19 is like no other known in living history. Gossip. You will still get where you need to go, probably at the exact same time you would’ve gotten there anyway, and you’ll actually make yourself feel good to boot. But we also all have phones and laptops and TVs and all manner of technologies capable of starting conversations, but, more often than not, ending them. So what can we do? When this happens, kindness and compassion might feel completely alien and leave us feeling disconnected from others. The beloved "Jeopardy!" Need I say more? And Claudia emphasized to me that kindness requires practice, patience, and commitment. ⦠The coronavirus pandemic is causing fear and hoarding of groceries. During this pandemic, it's significant to fortify our immune system to block the virus from infiltrating our bodies. Yet research is showing that our determination to win this battle is resulting in injury to our mental health. By now weâve all seen the myriad ways communities around the world are stepping up and taking action to help others during the pandemic, showing solidarity by joining a mutual aid group or committing individual acts of generosity. The UK and the world are at once united â not in a battle against people or countries â but against an invisible, inhuman enemy. Claudia says it’s worthwhile to take the time to actually check-in on someone, really ask “How are you?” and try to get an honest answer. We are all fighting to save lives: whether we are fighting the want to be close to those we care about, to ensure essential services, or on the frontline of our NHS. If you’ve been living with people throughout the pandemic, you’ve probably had multiple opportunities to hang out, maybe many multiple opportunities. Put the phone away; put Tik Tok away. Claudia says making a written list will help actualize that feeling. Yet together, I believe they have the potential to create a force of greater strength and contagion than that of Covid-19. Every day, several organizations drop off donations at the libraryâs distribution centreâin one of the first weeks, the organizations jointly delivered 27 skids of food. Kindness is critical; kindness, as it has always been, is key. In other words, when we feel supported by those around us, we feel better able to deal with the challenges of life. I spoke with Claudia Vernon, Coastline College’s Mental Health Counselor and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, about some real world tiny tasks that we can all do at this time to be a little kinder. The latest videos from fox8.com Melania Trump is encouraging people to perform small acts of kindness to help lift the spirits of others who are feeling blue during the pandemic-tinged holiday season. The Next Generation of Gaming: Console Wars! host, who died Nov. 8 from pancreatic cancer, leaves viewers in tears after show plays touching pre-recorded plea to help those suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you don’t have the energy for a long conversation, make someone a music playlist and send it to them. First lady urges kindness during holiday clouded by pandemic âThis year more than ever, it is important for us to all remember to be kind this holiday season,â Melania Trump said at the Marine Toys for Tots annual toy drive. Pin. If you are managing to remember what date it is (the 52nd of March, right? We all order from Amazon from time to time, and probably more than that; a five-minute sign-up and you can donate to a participating charity of your choice every time you order, say, sachets of lavender to make your room nice. Thatâs the mission of Think Kindness, a Reno-based non-profit that has broadened its ⦠Kindness falls into this category. We all loathe the basic small talk of “how are you?” And yet we all do it. Melania Trump is encouraging people to perform small acts of kindness to help lift the spirits of others who are feeling blue during the pandemic-tinged holiday season. Money makes the world go round, but wouldn’t it be so much better if compliments were as frequently exchanged as dollars and cents? It’s our secret superpower, but it should not be so secret. And if your journey to clean clothes involves a trip to the Laundromat, why not do a favor for someone else and leave some supplies, or a few quarters, for the next person. Stories of kindness that span across different generations. It was just in time: some Toronto food banks reported over a 50 per cent increase in visits during the pandemic. I love your smile! Since the Covid-19 crisis began, levels of stress, depression and anxiety have been shown to be elevated across the nation. Share A story. Life as We Know It. In this time of crisis, people everywhere are performing incredible acts of courage on behalf of others. And here’s a bonus: by allowing someone to help you, you’re helping them. WASHINGTON â Melania Trump is encouraging people to perform small acts of kindness to help lift the spirits of others who are feeling blue during the pandemic-tinged holiday season. Services and charities are still there to support you. No matter how dire the circumstances, kindness from others is one thing we can always count on. First and foremost, toward yourself. Wow, those shoes are super cool! Gratefulness is an underrated aspect of our lives; we all have things to be grateful for, and simply reminding ourselves of that fact sets us up to feel better overall. Pandemic or no pandemic, kindness is always a good thing and we were overwhelmed how many people purchased cards from our Send a Smile range to stay connected to loved ones during ⦠âItâs like a muscle you have to exercise,â Claudia says. Being kind, understanding, and considerate should be a given, but we know, especially right now, that it isn’t. You look really nice today! Self-compassion and being kind toward our selves isnât selfish or self-indulgent. To help, you can find some useful exercises online. WASHINGTON â Melania Trump is encouraging people to perform small acts of kindness to help lift the spirits of others who are feeling blue during the pandemic-tinged holiday season. Home. We set up #TheKindnessPandemic because so many people need acts of kindness right now; and so many others want to hear stories of kindness. We all spend a lot of time in our cars, with or without COVID-19, and we’ve all had that moment at a stop sign or a yield sign or before making a right turn where we could just zoom forward. Kindness, considerateness, genuineness, friendliness, call it what you will but it matters. WASHINGTON (AP) â Melania Trump is encouraging people to perform small acts of kindness to help lift the spirits of others who are feeling blue during the pandemic-tinged holiday season. It’s essential. We need to get ourselves in practice with kindness; it’s not just a good idea. Claudia acknowledged that this has become a political issue, but also pointed out that it doesn’t need to be. This story is part of a series by CBC Manitoba about acts of kindness in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Play a board game; play cards; do some baking together! Itâs essential. Research has found that those who have perceived greater kindness from others and a stronger sense of community connectedness have shown better mental health and wellbeing during the Covid-19 crisis. If left unchecked, this can draw us into a negative spiral and lead to symptoms of anxiety and depression. 4 ways to show kindness during the pandemic. A good place to start can be to pay attention to how we feel and acknowledge any distress that we notice. It should be baked into the social contract, but as our willingness to be kind erodes, so too does the social contract itself. Be safe, be kind. Maybe you’ll grow love them. You know what the pandemic hasn’t stopped? “It’s like a muscle you have to exercise,” Claudia says. But Claudia pointed out self-care, or allowing others to care for us, is a form of kindness too. By compassionately and non-judgementally observing and accepting distress as a normal part of being a thinking-feeling human being (let alone one living through a pandemic), this can help us to think about being more kind toward ourselves. Kindness wont make Coronavirus go away, but it is making many people's lives easier and more rewarding. With Passover falling during the early days of the pandemic, volunteers from the Jewish Family Services Agency delivered baskets of matzo, gefilte fish and other staples to ⦠performing acts of extraordinary kindness. Kindness and equity can be rare during times of panic. We saw your social media posts about random acts of kindness while everyone deals with the coronavirus pandemic. News and personal accounts of everyday people. As the scope of pandemic becomes evident and our daily lives are increasingly altered, the absolute need for us to act heroically with empathy, kindness and compassion is ever present. The group grew to 500,000+ members in two weeks. PS5 or Xbox Series X (or Neither? I promise it will still be there when you get back. As we enter the holiday season, and we all begin to sniff out the best Black Friday (which, let’s face it, is like an entire month long now) deals, this is a great way to practice kindness. But it clearly doesn’t seem to in this highly polarized nation. But while the coronavirus outbreak has left many afraid, it has also inspired acts of kindness around the world! I think this one should speak for itself. I think KINDNESS as a concept deserves more than a week, and certainly more than a day. Yet feeling kind and compassionate to others can be difficult if we donât feel these things toward ourselves. During an appearance Tuesday at the Marine Toys for Tots annual toy drive, the first lady noted that many people wonât spend time with loved ones ⦠Similar to eating, sleeping and exercising, this is arguably an essential form of nourishment which enables us to function at our best and be fully present for those around us. Social-distancing, of course, makes this more challenging, yet, as the examples above show, weâve proven how adaptive we can be in the face of this. It just does. I believe the reason to be something directly opposite in nature to Covid-19, and the best immune defence that we currently have against it: the human capacity for compassion and kindness. Melania Trump is encouraging people to perform small acts of kindness to help lift the spirits of others who are feeling blue during the pandemic-tinged holiday season. And Claudia emphasized to me that kindness requires practice, patience, and commitment. While it may be hard to find a silver lining during COVID-19, mine has been the kindness that has come out in the communities around me. What we do with regard to others, how we treat each other and how we treat ourselves, matters. Here we are, several weeks into shelter in place. Counter-intuitive, I know. ), then give yourself a pat on the back. White, R.G., & Van der Boor, C. (preprint). If this scary time has taught us anything, itâs that there are always people looking to help. As the destructive impact of Covid-19 continues to emerge, so, then, do the countering acts of kindness: Alone, each small act may feel of little significance. The best answer I come up with is some kind of collective, global, earth-shaking hug. It was possible in part thanks to ⦠So, by remembering how compassion and kindness can be beneficial for both ourselves and for others, perhaps this can help us to endure these exceptional times as best we can, and emerge from the crisis as a nation united in compassion and kindness. Get yourselves talking! The Kindness Pandemic was established on 14th March, 2020 by Dr Catherine Barrett, to support people who lives are impacted by COVID19. ). Alice is a Psychology Assistant with the National Centre of Mental Health. *If you are experiencing an overwhelming level of distress which you are finding difficult to manage alone, please reach out. Also, showing compassion and kindness to those around us doesnât just help lift the spirits of others, but can help us feel good about ourselves, too. 10 Acts of Kindness Shown By Random People During The Coronavirus Pandemic March 29, 2020 Kindness is about sacrifice to some degree, says Claudia; it’s knowing the importance, both for public health and for your own safety and that of your neighbors and friends, of wearing a mask and following through. About #TheKindnessPandemic. Covid-19. The Pandemic Kindness Movement was created by clinicians across Australia, working together to support all health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cut off all your bad habits like staying up late at ⦠We need to get ourselves in practice with kindness; itâs not just a good idea. RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Spreading kindness one simple act at a time. Technology has been so important in keeping us connected during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s a way of something that seems nebulous far more concrete and real. In times of stress, we have an unhelpful tendency to often be hard on ourselves. (2020). Claudia thinks so, and I do too. If you don’t feel like giving Jeff Bezos more of your money, a number of other programs exist with other companies to fill this charitable niche, for example, start-up Shopping Gives. American society, really any successful society and culture, is built around a social contract: the idea that we mutually agree on certain rules and parameters and abide by them because it makes life better overall. National Centre for Mental Health, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, Please enable your javascript for an optimal viewing experience, Christmas and COVID-19: looking after our mental health, Bipolar disorder and sleep: chasing the Zeds, Bipolar and pregnancy: 10 top tips for staying well, The National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) is funded by Welsh Government through Health and Care Research Wales, Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS), The impact of the COVID19 pandemic and initial period of lockdown on the mental health and wellbeing of UK adults, we unite on our doorsteps to applaud our key workers, we display symbols of support in our windows, we smile with strangers at our awkwardness in diligently maintaining a 2m distance from each other in the supermarket, we donate millions to fundraising efforts such as Captain Tom Mooreâs 100th birthday walk (and I shed almost as many tears of admiration), we reach out virtually to support one another, Fancourt, D., Bu, F., Wan Mak, H., Steptoe, A. 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