DeStress Monday at School

For Teachers

Doesn’t it feel good when somebody does something kind for you—especially when it’s out of the blue? That random act of kindness isn’t just good for the receiver; it’s great for the doer. Research has shown that engaging in random acts of kindness can increase your happiness and positivity over time. Being kind can also lower your blood pressure, reduce depression, and even help you live longer!

And the act doesn’t have to be huge. Even a very simple one does the trick—like holding the door for someone or telling a co-worker they did a good job. All you have to do is become aware of people around you and how you might make their day happier.

This Monday, spark your heart and amp up your random kindness factor:

Hold a door open, pay a bill forward, or just smile at a stranger. Opportunities to be kind are everywhere!

• Commit to looking for spontaneous opportunities to be kind.
• When you find the chance, go for it. Offer your assistance to someone in need, smile at your barista, or buy a drink for a stranger.
• Appreciate how these little moments have a big impact on not only the other person’s joy but also your own.

Get inspired by this video featuring ideas for how you can perform 20 random acts of kindness.

For the Classroom

Doesn’t it feel good when somebody does something kind for you—especially when it’s out of the blue? That random act of kindness isn’t just good for the person who receives it; it’s also great for the doer! Research has shown that engaging in random acts of kindness can increase your own happiness and positivity over time. Being kind can also lower your blood pressure, reduce depression, and even help you live longer!

And the act doesn’t have to be huge. Even a very simple one does the trick—like holding the door for someone or telling a friend or someone in your class they did a good job. All you have to do is become aware of people around you and how you might make their day happier.

This Monday, spark your heart and amp up your random kindness factor. Then keep doing it all week!

Teachers – You can help your students do random acts of kindness by tracking when they do or see something kind and when someone does something kind for them. One option is to hang a large piece of paper on the wall where students and teachers can record when they do or see or receive a random act of kindness. You can decorate the paper to look like a garden (or tree or flowerpot) and have students post stickers or drawings of flowers (or fruit or birds) on it each time they do something kind. Be creative! Get student input on what the picture should be and what should be posted to show acts of kindness. Have students help create the images. Discuss how it felt to do something kind or have someone do something kind for you, and get student feedback on how to increase the number of kind actions in the classroom.

Read about a Kindness Curriculum developed by the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin, Madison to learn more about the Kindness Garden.