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How to Keep Your Social Distance and Spread Kindness by Giving

Our world needs a bit more kindness and giving these days. Between Covid-19, global protests highlighting police brutality towards people of color, and our continued social distancing daily gives seem to be a viable solution to get us out of the change we are experiencing. The protests were needed. The issue of police brutality towards people of color, the continued neglect of our societal injustices and inequality, are connected to a much needed conversations and actions that are long over due. It is just all so overwhelming for many of us. On top of it, when we need our peers, or friends, our families the most, we are continuing to social distance.

So what can we do to cope, to maintain a balance while we support the issues that need our support. How do we keep our momentum up, as we slug through the changes that we are faced with.

First and foremost we need to maintain our well being, our personal and societal well being. Continuing to show kindness, compassion, generosity and support is how we are going to come out of this the other side. If we give daily, with the ideas below, we will feel and spread the compassion our communities need to see. And we can do this effectively while social distancing. Yup we can. It feels a bit magical, and I would understand if this sounds like a remedy too good to be true, but daily giving does support our communities and ourselves where it is needed. Our well being will increase through a daily giving practice.

How Well Being & Happiness Increases The More We Give

In our Happiness Research we outline how giving fires off neurotransmitters and our happy hormones. This happens when we do small acts of giving, every time we complete a small act of giving. The more we give, the more we keep our happiness levels where we would all like them to be. If we don’t manage our happiness levels we know what can happen. We have longer and more frequent times of feeling depressed, we find daily tasks hard to complete if not start, we fail to see the joy in our lives, even while our routines are disrupted. As we continue to socially distance it could seem hard if not impossible to continuing giving. How are we going to effect people positively if we can not see them, read out a hand, or give them a hug. Oh you will be surprised. Our daily giving as we socially distance ourselves is a effective as what we did before social distancing became a thing, an important public health thing.

Click to Give Online to Help Others and Spread Kindness

Many of us are keeping our devices close by, if not depending on them to keep us in touch with family members and friends. Taking a few minutes a day to click to give is a wonderful way to use online giving as your go to while social distancing. Play Bean bean bean and donate food to international communities. Click to Give by signing a petition to support #BlackLivesMatter or racial injustice or racial inequality. Pick your cause and sign a petition at change.org 

Donate Small Amounts to Things You Care About

Online donations can be as small as $1. Your happiness level will be the same whether you donate $1,000 or $5. What I do know is that when you give something, something you can afford, you will feel happier. Before social distancing many of us would add some change into a donation jar, or give a homeless person some extra money. With social distancing and isolation (remember those days when we could not even leave the house) and curbside pick up from our local stores and food shops, many of us have lost our ability to donate change. Donate to a local food bank online, or donate to your favorite animal cause. There are so many places that could use our help, and all of it can be done online. If you are stuck, pick a GoFund Campaign or support a microbusiness through Kiva. It all makes a difference and makes us happy.

Support Local Charities With Sponsor’s Dollars

We like this. If you click on a link, sponsors pay for your donation! The Greater Good has many places on their website that support international charities through the sponsor supported click to give. Here is a full list of of sponsor supported click to give websites and links.

Participate in Positive Social Media Campaigns

Find a friend or colleague that is hosting a social media fundraising campaign. This could be dollars, this could be likes, this could be through a link campaign. If you can not find one, leaving a positive comment on social media for a local business, contractor, or at home business is a great online give that helps others out!

Support a Virtual Campaign Online & Spread Kindness

The latest virtual campaign was Bakers Against Racism where money was raised through virtual bake sales to support Black Lives Matters. We loved this campaign and encourage people to do more like this for causes near and dear to their heart.

As we socially distance we can keep giving and increase our well being and happiness as we create positive change in the world. This giant pause that we are slowly coming out of has only proved to us how resilient, creative and committed to happiness we are no matter what is going on globally and in our world.

Happy giving and stay #happyathome! Join the 365give community with a free membership and continue to be inspired to give, every day, to change the world.

What people are saying about 365give

“I wanted to express my gratitude for the teaching you provided today. Your message was delivered eloquently, compassionately, and without judgment. The kids were engaged, and now have knowledge with which they can change the world. We all appreciated how you took the time to help us learn to build positive mindsets and practice happiness.”
Shelley Gardner, Grade 6 Ridgeview Elementary (West Vancouver)
“Actions really do speak louder than words, which is why I believe the 365give Challenge has resonated throughout my community. Every give we do is so important to us and leaves us happier and appreciating our lives a little bit more than before.”
Mahina Niyozova (Tajikistan)
“After watching the 365give TEDx Talk, I was inspired to join and begin a daily giving program in India. Today, along with 12 other volunteer women, we provide 100 meals to local underprivileged children in Bangalore for school every day.”
Deepika Ahuja, Mom (Bangalore, India)
“My life has greater meaning now.”
Renate Jorge, @BeKindBrazil and 365give Member, Family Program (Brazil)
“I just wanted to share that 365give really helped me. I am a better person now, thank you.”
MayLee, 365give Member, Individual Program
“This 365give Challenge has really injected excitement and extra enthusiasm in each work day as I think about what we can do. It has motivated me and the students.”
Cristina Peters, School Counselor (New York City, USA)
“I have seen a huge shift in energy throughout my classroom since doing the 365give Challenge. The Challenge has empowered my students to make a positive difference in the school’s community and beyond.”
Cella Adriana, Special Needs Educator /The Holliswood School (New York City, USA)
“The 365give Challenge helps students understand their impact on others. It opens avenues for introducing and discussing global and local issues in classrooms. It is powerful to watch students of all ages think about how they can make a change in another person’s life with one small act.”
Jessica Hall, Primary Teacher, French Immersion at École Pauline Johnson (West Vancouver, Canada)