The power of kindness in the workplace

Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Such a simple sentiment should be easy for us to convey, but it doesn’t always come naturally, especially if you don’t feel great yourself. I believe that kindness starts with being kind to yourself.

Research shows that kindness to ourselves*:

• strengthens our sense of self – our identity
• boosts our self-esteem
• helps with our confidence
• improves our sense of optimism
• helps us cope better with stress
• improves resilience – our ability to bounce back after a setback

One way to boost your well-being is by being kind to others. Small gestures have a significant impact – just smiling at someone or letting someone go in front of you in a queue. Doing good for others boosts your well-being and helps brighten someone else’s day.

Being kind at work might not always be a priority, but we mustn’t underestimate the power of being kind! Frequent and meaningful acts of kindness and encouragement from leaders and employees will be immeasurably helpful to our colleagues, as not only does it make people feel good, it really does build connections and will contribute to a better workplace culture, which in turn will lead to higher employee engagement, collaboration, productivity and increased job satisfaction, and even improved bottom-line results.

How often do you consciously say “thank you” or “you’ve done a great job, well done” to a colleague? These small yet significant compliments, words of recognition and praise can help individuals feel more fulfilled, boost their self-esteem, improve their self-esteem, and trigger positive emotions, which helps to affirm self-worth and contributes towards balanced well-being!  And as an employee, if we feel valued and appreciated for our efforts, we will be likely to willingly go that extra mile for our employer and pass the kindness on to others, causing a contagious ripple effect amongst our colleagues.  There can be no adverse effect of spreading kindness in the workplace.

Here are ten simple acts of kindness you can try in the workplace**

• Make a cuppa for your team
• Offer a friendly ear if a colleague is having a bad day
• Have a chat with someone at work you don’t usually speak to
• Bake something yummy for your team
• Give praise to your colleague for something they’ve done well
• Hold the door open for the person behind you
• Write a thank you note or email to a colleague
• Help an overworked colleague with some tasks
• Ask a colleague to go out for lunch
• Pick up goodies or a hot drink for your team

Before anything else today, prioritise being kind to yourself and others; it costs nothing, and one random act of kindness to a colleague might make their day!

Helpful websites:

*https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/be-kind-to-yourself

**https://www.mentalhealthintheworkplace.co.uk/is-there-a-place-for-random-acts-of-kindness-in-the-workplace/