Winter seems to be an often-brutal time for Michiganders. With the blistering cold, rushing winds, endless piles of snow and dark evenings, it can feel like we’re surrounded by the doom and gloom of the season which never ends. These negative feelings, often elevated by seasonal depression, can be a struggle during the awful Michigan winters.
Random acts of kindness may seem like an odd solution to brighten up the season, but one small act a day can help both your mental health as well as someone else’s, so it might be the right idea.
Despite what excuses may come forward, like being too busy, there are plenty of opportunities to be kind throughout the day which are sometimes overlooked. An act of kindness can be paying it forwar d by buying someone’s cof fee, complimenting their outfit, or picking up an item when someone drops it.
Those who may be suf fering with mental health issues benefit from some kindness thrown their way. Though probably a different concept to some: kindness and being nice to people doesn’t always have to be a grand gesture of declaration, despite what we often see on social media these days.
We see people who record their good deeds to feel good. Through the normalization of these alleged ‘do-gooders,’ people have become afraid of receiving general gestures from others as well. I feel as though this sort of social media content may affect the way we view sympathy towards others, and could cause irreparable societal harm on the psychology of being kind.
Here’s a concept: ther e are still people in this world who do good things without the intention of receiving recognition. They’re just like you, in most instances. There’s no fancy title, no need for the bells and whistles or even the camera. They often just want to see their communities thrive or have witnessed hardships that have created this passion to help– it isn’t always those who are wanting to be the next micr o-celebrity.
It feels like these days when we peer outside of our little community, things often seem to be full of doom and gloom, especially with the political outlooks of today. Despite what your feelings may be, ther e always will be the ‘silver linings’ of life– community , connection, and the ability to help others out of the goodness of one’s heart.
One thing I always stand by is the idea of “do good, feel good.” If it’s something that might help make your Michigan winter’s a little warmer, I say take it for its worth.