Social & Relationship · Connection
Act of kindness
Yes / NoEasyAny
Cue
Noticing an opportunity to help, compliment, or ease someone's day
Behaviour
Act on it immediately, however small: a compliment, a favour, a thank-you note
Reward
A genuine mood lift for you, not just the recipient, sometimes called the helper's high
2-minute version
Send one genuine compliment to someone right now
Yes / No
Target: 1 yes/no · Any
✓✓−✓✓
What to do
Do one deliberate act of kindness today — for a stranger, friend, family member, or colleague. It can be small: a compliment, helping with a task, buying someone a coffee, writing a thank-you note.
Why it works
Increases personal happiness (giving activates the same reward pathways as receiving), reduces stress, strengthens social bonds, and creates a positive feedback loop in communities and relationships.
Research backing
Sonja Lyubomirsky's controlled studies found that participants who performed five acts of kindness concentrated into a single day reported significantly greater increases in happiness than those who spread the same five acts across a week, suggesting both timing and follow-through matter.
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