I think we can all agree that life has been a little rough lately. We’re deep in the midst of an election season, and that seems to bring out the worst in everyone, especially our friends on social media. The news is full of bleak stories of war and violence happening overseas, and it’s that time of year when one hurricane after the next keeps pummeling our eastern shore and Gulf Coast. And I don’t think anyone had “school shootings and threats of violence across Knox County” on their BINGO card for September. It’s enough stress to make anyone want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over their head for the next couple of months!
One of the best ways that I’ve found to handle stress, especially when that stress comes in the form of events that I have absolutely no control over, is to stop focusing on my own inward turmoil and focus my attention outward, on how I can help other people. According to a study reported by the American Psychiatric Association, “Participating in acts of kindness help[s]… individuals with depression or anxiety to divert their attention from themselves and take their minds off their own symptoms. Research has also found that kindness can increase happiness and self-esteem, while decreasing stress and emotional reactivity” (APA 2023).
Being kind and selfless towards other people is the last thing on my mind when I’m preoccupied with my own troubles, so I’ve found that I need to really be intentional about it.
Setting a goal for myself to participate in one act of kindness per day, or perhaps giving myself a quota to meet by the end of the week, pushes me to intentionally look around at my surroundings and start noticing areas of need where I can help. I decided I wanted to return to that September BINGO card, but rather than marking freak occurrences and negative news media events, I wanted to create a Kindness Challenge BINGO card. I’m going to look for ways that I can have a positive impact on those around me, aiming for five acts of kindness in a row per week (and perhaps getting a “blackout” on my board by the end of a month)!
