October isn’t just the start of spooky season, it's also home to a wonderful little holiday called 'Do Something Nice Day' on October 5. As the name suggests, the holiday is about doing small extra acts of kindness that will make someone’s day. From smiling at a stranger, to giving someone a gift "just because," the world is your oyster of kindness.
The beauty of this holiday is that any act of niceness is perfect, from the smallest favor to the largest action. But if you’re stuck for ideas, here are a handful of nice things you can do this October:
Tip someone who doesn't usually get tipped.
It’s socially accepted that wait staff, bellhops, and car washers, but there are tons of workers out there who unfortunately don’t often get tipped. And we all know that most service workers live off tips more than their actual wages.
Cashiers are pretty much the backbone of retail society, and sure certain stores may have a tip jar, but this Do Something Nice Day, personally hand them a handsome tip for their hard work. In the grocery store, bookstore, gas station, anywhere someone has rung you up. Cleaners are also widely ignored in the tip department, so next time you’re eating in the food court, bus your own tray and hand them a few dollars.
Pay for the next customer’s order in the drive-thru.
After tipping your drive-thru worker, turn your niceness to the people behind you in the queue. They’ll light up when the cashier tells them their order is already taken care of. You never know who is in that car — someone who’s had a really crappy day and is on the verge of crying, an exhausted parent with three kids in the back all wanting happy meals, or someone who’s just treating themselves to a nice self-care day. You can even leave a little note with the cashier to pass on to them, something as simple as “I hope you enjoy your meal on me!” or your favorite inspirational quote. It sounds like such a small gesture, but these are the gestures that make life a little easier, one day at a time.
Donate food or clothes to charity.
If money is tight right now, there are still tons of ways to donate to charity that will make many people’s lives much easier. Nonperishable food donations, donating clothes that no longer fit you, already-read books, unwatched Blu-rays, old dinnerware you don't use, pretty much anything you can’t use will be important to someone else.
There’s also no shortage of locations/ways to donate: Goodwill stores, clothes donation bins, food drives, library donations, technology donations. Just Google what you have and where to donate it. Your local schools may also be looking for donations of books, sports equipment, and old laptops.
Compliment a stranger.
Now there’s a time and a place for this. Fellas: don’t walk up to a random woman in the pitch dark to compliment her looks — be sensitive about it. Say you’re in the dentist's office waiting for a checkup, and say the person next to you in the waiting room has wonderful bright pink hair, tell them! If you’re walking in the park and see the cutest dog playing with their owner, let them know how happy their pup looks. Complement people’s unique styles, a band T-shirt you have in common, just something small and fun to make their day.
Offer help to a stranger online.
Obviously, with the anonymity of the internet, you need to be careful, stay safe, and don’t meet up with perfect strangers, but some kind words will go a long way. When you see someone on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Threads — anywhere really — is having a bad day, ask them if they want to chat it out. Consent is key, as not everyone wants to talk with strangers. Send them some positive posts that can distract them from their hardships, or even videos of pups and kittens. Tumblr is a great place to send anonymous messages if you wish to remain distant, and there are tons of blogs that specialize in sending anonymous care. Whether they’ve had some bad news, are dealing with bigotry, or don’t even really know why they’re upset, there should be a digital guardian angel for everyone.
Nurse a plant back to health.
It’s not only humans that need niceness in their lives, but animals and plants, too. If you don’t have time to volunteer at a pet rescue center, or foster a poorly kitten, go to a garden center and find the most nearly dead plant you can see. Grab some plant food, and fertilizer, and find the most well-lit part of your house or garden. Nurture the plant or flower until its leaves are bright and green once more. It sounds like a lot of work, but plants only really need a few minutes of love per day to thrive. If you’re feeling extra nice, gift the plant to a friend or a workplace that needs sprucing up.
Take care of yourself.
Someone else who deserves your kindness, is you, especially after a long day of helping other people. Though kindness should be selfless, you deserve love as much as anyone else, so by the end of the day be sure to treat yourself to your favorite parts of life. Make a list of everything you would like to do for yourself that day that’d doable, and just do it. Eat what you want, watch what you want, go where you want, and be who you want. Take care of your health, mind, and priorities, and don’t focus on what everyone else thinks you should do. Do something nice for yourself, which in turn does something nice for those who love you.
