It seems like every single day, people across America are celebrating an new “national holiday” of some sort. While earlier this week was National Kissing Day, today is National Celebrate the Lonely Day—which is actually a lot more uplifting and happy than you may think at first.
This (unofficial) holiday was originally founded by Francis Pesek from Detroit, Michigan, who wanted a way of spreading and encouraging kindness to people who are lonely, or those who have been forgotten about, like those in nursing homes or in hospitals.
The goal is, obviously, to try and make someone happy today. Granted, you should be doing this everyday and “paying it forward,” but it’s nice to have a reminder every now and then. There aren’t really any guidelines as to who this person should be, you can pick anyone—whether it is someone going through a bad break up, who has just lost someone they love, has a had a death in their family, or just suffering for personal reasons about any type of issue or problem in their life. Hell, it can even be a complete stranger you have never met before!
The fact of the matter is, being kind to someone else doesn’t only make our world a better place (corny, I know), and make the person feel better, but it also helps make you feel better as well! Below are some ideas for random acts of kindness you can do to participate in National Celebrate the Lonely Day:
1. Call an old friend or family member you haven’t talked to in a while
2. Bring someone flowers
3. Mail someone a card/letter letting them know all the ways you appreciate them
4. Visit a nursing home
5. Pay for someone behind you in the drive-thru
6. Compliment a stranger
7. Volunteer at an animal shelter
8. For the entire day, let anyone who wants to cut in front of you (whether in a check outline or on the road) do it
9. Go out of your way to thank any worker you come in contact with today—be that a barista, a cashier, the mailman…
10. Go through your closet and donate any clothes you haven’t worn in the last year
11. Send a care package to someone you think could use it
12. Leave a nice comment on someone’s selfie (you might think they don’t need the extra confidence boost, but you’d be surprised…)
13. Tip generously
14. Smile at strangers
15. Call your parents, make sure the conversation is all about them and how they are doing
16. Leave extra time on the parking meter
17. Think of the last time you had really good service, and right a rave Yelp! review for their business
18. Make plans with someone you have been neglecting
19. If you see a mother or father out with their child, compliment them on how well behaved their child is—not just on how cute they are
20. Drop off a care package of essentials to a homeless person
Ideas for Today: National Celebrate The Lonely Day
