World Kindness Day 2021

To be kind is to be ‘generous, helpful, and thinking about other people's feelings’. Spreading kindness to those around you (whether you know them or not), has been praised by mental health professionals as an effective way to induce that ‘feel good’ feeling, heighten your relationships and create a newfound sense of purpose. NHS England even cites ‘giving to others’ as a pillar of overall mental wellbeing.

However, kindness also extends to the self. We are often guilty of being our own worst critics and not making time for our own pleasures, which can be very damaging to our mental wellbeing. Self kindness and care are therefore not luxuries, but essentials that deserve your time and energy.

Saturday 13th of November is World Kindness Day. In honour of this important date, here are some of my favourite ways to be kind to you and those around you.

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Be kind to you:

Make time for you

Set some time aside to do whatever makes you happy, whether it’s reading a book, watching your favourite film or taking a much needed nap.

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Enforce your boundaries

Don’t be afraid to say no, self kindness is essential and doesn’t need any justification or reasoning.

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Nourish your body

Drink more water, get some extra veggies in or refuel with all the yummy carbs. Give your body whatever it needs - after all, you know it best! Check out Tastily for super convenient, nutritious and yummy meals.

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Nourish your mind

In the same way you need to look after your physical health, your mental health needs looking after too. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder here, but a good starting point might be a guided meditation, hypnotherapy session or therapy consultation.

Treat yourself

It doesn’t have to be life changing or bank breaking, just something that puts a smile on your face. Here are some Heka favourites - Scentered Aromatherapy, Theragun, Patch Plants & more.

Kind to others:

Give a compliment

Genuine of course! A simple compliment can go a very long way in boosting someone’s confidence. And it doesn’t have to centre around appearance - telling someone they’ve done a good job, they’re appreciated or they’ve made you feel good will do the trick.

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Start a conversation

It’s very easy to get caught up in our own routine but sparking a conversation with a work colleague, server or new acquaintance can boost your confidence as well as help you broaden your friendship horizons.

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Make a donation

Money, time, expertise - whatever you have going :) Giving back to a cause you care about is an incredible way to express kindness and elevate your mood.

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Spend time with a loved one

Asking to spend time with someone you love is the perfect way to show you enjoy their company and appreciate them. Make their day and share a Heka experience with the ‘bring a friend’ feature. Here are some popular social experiences - Axe Throwing, Spa Day, & Digme Spin.

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Treat someone

last but not least, send someone a little surprise, direct to their door. Stay anonymous for extra feel good factor if you like. To do this through Heka, simply change your delivery name and address. Bird & Blend Tea, Breathe Magazine, and Wellness Boxes make great surprises!

No matter how big or small, try and celebrate World Kindness Day in your own special way. After all, kindness makes the world go round.

Love, Heka x

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