Are you feeling taken for granted? You’re not alone. It’s a common complaint amongst couples and families. Having an expectation that people will be naturally thoughtful, kind and considerate (without having to be asked) may be unrealistic if pro-social behaviours are not reinforced. Activities that teach and encourage these socialising skills can develop new family dynamics that prevent feeling disgruntled and unappreciated. Give your family an injection of compassion and social skills this month with this simple focusing exercise. It will turn them into appreciative and considerate human beings and you’ll reap the benefits quickly.
Raising awareness through random acts of kindness…
It’s time to introduce random acts of kindness into daily living. This exercise works best when it runs over an entire month and is implemented daily. The commitment: everyone in the home agrees to share each evening a random act of kindness that they performed during the day. These acts can be simple things, such as; helping someone cross the street, offering to grab something off a top shelf for someone, making someone a cup of tea, etc. What has these acts meet the grade is that they must include these features: 1. the other person didn’t have to ask, 2. they were unexpected kindnesses, 3. when given (time, effort, etc.) the were given freely, without expectation in return. You may find this creates a beautiful focus for conversations at the dinner table and the family become excited about connecting and sharing their act of kindness for the day.
There’s an added bonus…
Lyubomirsky et al. concluded that living a life high on positive emotions leaves individuals better equipped physically, psychologically and socially to flourish and cope with the challenges of life. Fredrickson and Branigan (2005) also found that experiencing positive emotions in the present, widens attention. This means, that your family will develop an internal scanner to find ways to share their appreciation more often, spot areas at home that they can start helping out, without being asked and will feel much more content as a byproduct. What will your random act of kindness be today?
In summary:
- Feeling taken for granted is one of the most common grumbles couples and families have.
- A random act of kindness month will teach your family compassionate living skills.
- Positive emotions have a ripple effect.
“Love is born through giving kindness.” Anonymous
About the authors: Bare Hands is run by allied health professionals committed to helping women embrace positive change by providing access to practical education. To find out more give us a call, email us or visit www.barehands.com.au
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