Kindness | If you can be anything, be kind

"How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time" - Morgan Freeman. The definition of kindness is possessing the qualities of being friendly, generous and considerate. There is a saying, "It costs nothing to be kind." It sounds simple, but sometimes a smile or 'hello' is enough to cheer someone's mood.

That’s why local businesses, Sunshine Coast Council and Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service have joined forces, launching a new campaign promoting kindness.

The campaign, It’s Cool to be Kind, is designed to support local businesses and industry doing it tough in the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Workers across many sectors, including hospitality, retail, transport, medical and administration are experiencing an increase in customer anger and abuse. And it’s not cool.

Some acts of kindness could be:

Reach out and check on friends and family.
Give a parent a break by offering to babysit.
Give a shout out to a local business by leaving a positive review after a good experience.
Donate good condition clothes to charity stores or towels and blankets to animal shelters.
Send a thank-you email to a colleague.
Volunteer your time to a worthy cause.
Help a neighbour by mowing the lawns or picking up groceries.

Small acts of kindness can have a tremendous impact on both the person being kind and the receiver. Studies have found that kindness, compassion and giving are associated with:

improved happiness
good mental health
a stronger immune system
reduced anxiety, stress and depression
improved relationships
a longer life.

Libraries have a large range of titles promoting kindness. Drop into your local Sunshine Coast Libraries location to find some inspiration or download one of the popular eBooks or Audiobooks from the extensive eLibrary.