87 Ways To Be Kind And Loving - Six Seconds

It’s funny how kindness can sometimes feel hardest with the people we love most. We assume they already know how we feel. Or we get caught up in routines and forget how much small gestures matter.

But when you pause and choose to act with tenderness, it makes a difference. A soft word, a thoughtful note, a gentle hug—these things shift the emotional climate of a home.

(Notice how each of these choices, even the smallest ones, carries a powerful ripple. Neuroscience tells us that when we say “I love you” with intention or pause to listen without interrupting, we’re strengthening not only the relationship, but also our own emotional regulation and sense of purpose. Tiny acts matter more than we realize.)

Here are some simple ways to put this into action:

1. Surprise them with an unexpected visit or phone call.
2. Give them a big hug.
3. Express your empathy. Often the greatest gift we can someone else is the gift of empathy. This short video from Brené Brown does a great job of explaining the difference between sympathy and empathy – and why empathy is so amazing.
4. Give them a handwritten card or letter.
5. Babysit for free. To new parents especially, this can mean the world. I have done this several times for my neighbors after the toddler went to bed. I could stay there in case the child woke up, but almost always I simply read my book on the couch and let the parents have a well-deserved break to go get a glass of wine.
6. Write them a letter.
7. Make them a meal. When my partner had surgery and I felt stretched very thin, the frozen meals that our loved ones had brought over made such a difference.
8. Go visit your parents. Tell them how much you appreciate them (or at least one thing about them you appreciate).
9. Treat them to their favorite coffee.
10. Say ‘I love you’ with meaning.
11. Tell them how wonderful they are and how happy you are to have them in your life.
12. Ask, “How can I help you?”
13. Make them a cup of tea
14. Listen to them carefully without interrupting
15. Say, “I’m sorry.”
16. Buy them a gift from the dollar store.
17. Help with a household chore.
18. Tell them you wish you understood.
19. Bring them Ibruprofen for their headache.
20. Invite them to play.
21. Acknowledge and respect their feelings even if you feel they are not accurate / appropriate.
22. Hold their hand.
23. Buy them a small chocolate (but not if they’re on a diet. :-))
24. Gently wash and dress their cut/wound.
25. Tell them about the best part of the day you just spent with them.
26. Let them sleep.
27. Offer them a drink of water.
28. Wear or use a gift they gave you in their presence.
29. Keep that sigh to yourself.
30. Use a kind voice even if you have to fake it.
31. Listen for the feelings behind the words.
32. Put chocolate chips in their pancakes.
33. Visit a sick friend.
34. Run them a bath.
35. Give a new mom her own gift.
36. Respect someone’s wishes.
37. Write messages of love and put them in their lunches.
38. Choose a book they might like and lend it to a friend.
39. Take the garbage out for a friend.
40. Hold them while they cry.
41. Give them a chocolate bandaid.
42. Invite them over for scones and clotted cream.
43. Send a copy of a photo to the person in it.
44. Make someone else’s bed.
45. Share your knowledge with someone who needs it.
46. Share herbs from your garden.
47. Share a good recipe.

None of these require hours of planning or money. But they remind the people we love: you matter, you’re seen, you’re not alone.