“It is hard enough to deal with the everyday mental strains of life during a pandemic, without having to feel inadequate for not taking up a new hobby or religiously doing home workouts.” –Tanzina Vega, host of The Takeaway on WNYC and WGBH Public Radio
Thank you, Tanzina Vega, and the team at The Takeaway, for noticing the “one more thing” that some of us are struggling to cope with in addition to sheltering in place, homeschooling our kids, adjusting to working from home, or risking our safety and that of others by working outside of the home.
What if we were already struggling with feelings of inadequacy before COVID-19? Remember imposter syndrome? Stay-at-home parents who don’t get enough credit? Dedicated teachers who are not paid enough?
One, simple act that is guaranteed to defeat the i-word, help you feel better, and possibly change lives is to commit one act of kindness a day. It can be free, but it is always generous. It can be quick and still be meaningful.
“Even when we look in pretty diverse regions of the world, in fact in all seven major regions of the world we find this relationship whereby people who donate money to charity are happier than those who don’t.” –Dunn, Ankin, & Norton, “Prosocial spending and happiness: Using money to benefit others pays off.”
Charity is about more than donating funds. Development professionals refer to “time, talent, and treasure.” If you are short on treasure, there are many charities who will be grateful for your time and/or talent. You can start by recognizing that acts of kindness also count when they are for your family or done in the course of your job; you can look for opportunities to multiply those acts and inspire others to up their kindness game.
I have titled this piece, “365 Days of Kindness,” because, during my more than 15 years of marriage, my husband has completed several self-imposed 365-day challenges. May 5, 2020 marks the 365th day of his latest challenge, to read one graphic novel a day; he’s actually read nearly 600 and cataloged data points–for fun. I am genuinely proud of him.
He has suggested challenges for me–one album a day (“You like music…), one photograph a day (You love to take pictures…). I begin, but my days are filled with work, child, husband, pet, dishes, laundry, etc., etc. My great realization is that I am a kind person. I am motivated to do more good in the world, and I want to help others to do the same. I am also a writer and a marketer, and I can’t help but share this revelation.
It is so easy to do something kind for someone else. But, I get it–it’s also easy to overthink it. Don’t start by signing up to donate an organ–unless you’re the “go big or go home” sort. It is wise to start small. Since May 1, 2020, I have:
- sent a note of thanks to my daughter’s school principal on National School Principals Day,
- helped an elderly acquaintance with spring cleaning,
- made dinner for my family,
- helped connect another elderly friend with her local library so she could begin borrowing audiobooks, and
- celebrated my husband’s geeky achievement.
If you look around these days, there is no shortage of creative ideas for kindness. And, instead of allowing courageous nurses, enterprising entrepreneurs, and John Krasinski’s “Some Good News” to add stress instead of relieve it, take a deep breath, and notice moments when you can choose to give the greatest gift you have–yourself.
Sandy Lashin-Curewitz 