Cooperative Living September 2023 - 25

SMART CONNECT
Making a Positive Connection
Six small, kind gestures to make a big impact each day
Story courtesy of Family Features
E
verywhere you look, you can see moments of kindness.
From a friend sending a thoughtful text message to a
stranger holding the bus for someone running late or
a person paying for someone else's coffee, acts of kindness
happen every day. While these moments can have a
monumental impact on the person on the receiving end, they
often go unrecognized.
A study published in the
" Journal of Experimental
Psychology " found that
performing acts of kindness
improves individual wellbeing
and leads to more
positive moods. At the
same time, many people
underestimate the impact
their kindness may have
on themselves and others.
To help foster positive
connections among friends,
family and communities,
which the U.S. Surgeon
General's advisory revealed
can help reduce the risk
of serious health
conditions, people should
consider ways to weave
moments of kindness into
their daily lives.
Here are a few simple ways to show kindness:
HOLD THE DOOR FOR STRANGERS
It may seem small, but holding the door for someone who
is entering or exiting a building after you is a brief way to offer
a helping hand and set off a contagious string of goodwill.
SEND A THOUGHTFUL SURPRISE
Sending someone a favorite treat, book or even a photo
memory can provide a positive boost to not only the recipient,
but the sender as well. To take this gesture one step further,
have a gift delivered to a person you don't know but may need
a thoughtful gesture - such as a basket to a soldier overseas
or senior citizens in local nursing homes or assisted living
facilities.
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CELEBRATE AND SHARE KINDNESS ONLINE
So much of the world is connected via social media. To build
positive connections online, seek out digital spaces or services
that emphasize and inspire kindness, such as the Starbucks
Kindness Mobile AR experience. By combining the real world
with augmented reality, the experience invites people to
explore and share acts of kindness
through notes inspired by real
stories of kindness, photos, videos
and Kindness Cards that can
be shared on social media or by
text message.
LOOK FOR VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteering time to local
organizations, such as nursing
homes, homeless shelters or
food pantries, is an engaging
and personal way to help those
in your community.
BE KIND TO YOUR MIND
By practicing gratitude,
compassion and kindness
toward yourself, you can spark
moments of kindness that are
more genuine and intentional
with others. Meditation invites
calm and kindness, opening
the door to cultivating a more considerate relationship with
mind, body and world.
" Experiencing kindness in the world begins with cultivating
kindness toward ourselves, " says Dora Kamau, mindfulness
and meditation teacher at Headspace. " This week, try being
kind to your mind and notice how this has a ripple effect on
others and the world around you. "
OFFER WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
AND GRATITUDE
Whether it be via a text, note or conversation in-person,
words are a direct way to show kindness and help individuals
feel seen, appreciated and respected. Depending on what
the situation requires, providing a compliment or saying
" thank you " can make a significant impact on someone's day. 
September 2023 ● Cooperative Living ●
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Cooperative Living September 2023

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