21 Day Kindness Challenge, Inc.
  • About
    • Videos/News Articles
  • Packages & Pricing
    • Kindness eBook & eGuides
    • Classroom Edition
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
  • Request Estimate
  • How it works
  • Blog
  • Login
  • Store

Hello Fall & Hello Kindness

10/4/2019

0 Comments

 

Friday Kindness Recap

Happy Friday and welcome to October! A new season is upon us, the air is crisp, and the leaves are changing. In a survey, 45.6% of people identified Fall as their favorite season. How about you? What is your favorite season? Tell us by posting a comment on our blog or using the #ichoose2bekind on social media. 

Here is your recap of the week of September 30 - October 06:
Five Acts of Kindness. Are you a Go-Giver of Kindness? How did your acts of kindness go this week? What book did you give away? We'll bet someone really enjoyed the morning latte you gave away this week. 

Blog Post: Be a Go-Giver of Kindness 

Kind News. Sometimes it is hard to believe there is good in the world. If you are feeling that way today, read these three stories, and you will have a change of heart. 
  1. The school janitor shows kindness in an unexpected way. This story will inspire you to look for simple ways to help those in need. Janitor Curls Up Next to Student with Autism During Lunch.
  2. Officer helps a homeless man to shave. This police officer is leading from the heart and showing others how to be kind. Officer Helps Homeless Man Struggling to Shave. 
  3. Stranger helps calm a child. This story will remind you there is goodness in the world. Subway Officer Spent 20 Minutes Calming Boy with Autism.

Self-Kindness. Dustin Wax from Lifehack says, "When we write something down, research suggests that as far as our brain is concerned, it's as if we were doing that thing. Writing seems to act as a kind of mini-rehearsal for doing." 

Blog Post: Benefits of Hand-Writing Your Self-Kindness

​Kindness in Action. Post your pictures using #iChoose2BeKind or #KindnessInAction, and we will post them to our blog & social media channels!
Picture

Article on Kindness.  Can empathy be taught, or is it genetically hard-wired? You may have heard people say; "You either have empathy, or you don't," "Everyone is born with a certain amount of empathy," "Girls have more empathy than boys." Carol Dweck points out that if we develop a growth mindset, we can change the way we view and do things. In other words, you can teach an old dog new tricks if they have an open mindset.

Blog Post: Fun Kindness Project on Empathy

Report back and tell us how it felt to be kind to others. Comment on our blog or social media using the #ichoose2bekind

Until next time... be thoughtful, be present, be kind. ​
0 Comments

Benefits of Hand-Writing Your Self-Kindness

10/2/2019

0 Comments

 

Three Acts of Self-Kindness

According to The Wall Street Journal, the act of writing engages your motor-skills, memory, and forces you to slow down. The article goes on to say, new research shows that when you write by hand, you engage the brain in active learning. 

Dustin Wax from Lifehack says, "When we write something down, research suggests that as far as our brain is concerned, it's as if we were doing that thing. Writing seems to act as a kind of mini-rehearsal for doing." 

Let's see if the research is valid; we invite you to practice self-kindness this week by doing the following writing activities. Let us know how it goes!

  1. Write yourself a kind letter. Sit down and write yourself a physical letter. Telling you how much you admire you, how happy you are to have you in your life, how you love growing and learning with you, etc. Then, address an envelope to yourself and mail it! When the letter arrives, read it and tuck it away and take it out when you need a little self-kindness. 

  2. Sticky note hunt. Write a handful of sticky notes with kind quotes on them. Then, hide the notes in random places, such as a book, on the milk, in a bathroom drawer, your desk at work, your car, etc. Goodreads 354 kind quotes

  3. Jar of love. Grab a sheet of scrap paper, cut it into seven strips. On each piece, write down encouraging words, love notes, qualities you like about yourself, etc. Grab a jar. Place your words of love in the jar. Then, every day for the next seven days, take out one note and read it numerous times throughout the day. 
    ​
Until next time... be present, be thoughtful, be kind.
Picture
0 Comments

Be a Go-Giver of Kindness

9/30/2019

0 Comments

 

Five Acts of Kindness for 9.30-10.6

In the book, the Go-Giver, authors, Bob Burg, and John David Mann suggest when you change your focus from getting to giving incredible things will happen to you. 

Similarly, The Arbinger Institute, literary works, and workshops focus on educating schools and organizations on the principle of changing the culture by changing mindsets. Arbinger Institute states, "mindset drives behaviors, changing behavior requires a fundamental change in mindset. What may seem to be a behavior problem is actually a mindset problem."

This week we invite you to switch your focus from getting to giving and changing your mindset from I-It to I-You. Perform these five acts of kindness with a giving heart:

  1. Give away a favorite book. Give the book to a friend, colleague, student, or leave it on a park bench. Write an inscription letting the reader know why you want them to have this book.
  2. Give the gift of music. Music has a way of connecting people, listen to songs, and think of a friend, parent, or grandparent. Then, copy down the words and give it your person of choice. Be sure to explain why the song is meaningful to you. 
  3. Bring someone their favorite latte. Start your day off by bringing someone his/her favorite hot beverage. This could be a latte or perhaps a cup of hot cocoa or hot tea.
  4. Make a poster with kindness and love. Get crafty! Grab a poster board, some paste, scissors, markers, and magazines. Look for inspiring words and pictures that shouts love, compassion, kindness, joy, gratitude, etc. Cut them out and paste them to your poster board. Then, hang the poster at school, in your classroom, or hold it up in the car-line. 
  5. Take a walk with a friend. Spending time with people you care about is the cheapest and most treasured gift you can give someone. Invite a friend to walk with you this week, do your best to be present "in the moment."

Until next time... be present, be thoughtful, and be kind.  
Picture
0 Comments

Why You Should Keep Practicing Self-Kindness

9/25/2019

0 Comments

 

Wednesday Challenge 9.25.19

We've been practicing self-kindness for about one month now. Practicing self-kindness can feel a little strange when you first start doing it but, like anything else, it gets more comfortable overtime. ​

Are you still struggling with the idea of practicing self-kindness? If so, watch this TedTalk by Kristen Neff. She walks you through what self-compassion is and why it is so essential to your mental health. Also, in the talk, Neff touches on the importance of modeling self-kindness at school and home. 
Keep practicing self-kindness, and we promise you will make a significant impact on those around you. Do these three acts of self-kindness this week: 
  1. Ask for help. You wouldn't hesitate to help out a friend if they asked for it, do the same for yourself. Ease your workload and ask for a little help this week. 
  2. Eat what you love. Food can feed the soul, enjoy eating your favorite meal this week. Make the meal more fun by inviting a friend to join you.
  3. Laugh out loud. Watch a funny movie and laugh out loud. Assign this for homework for you and your class one night this week. Here is a list of Rolling Stones, Readers' Poll: 24 Funniest Movies Of All Time.

We'd love to hear more about your thoughts and how your self-kindness is going. Be sure to use the #iChoose2BeKind when posting on social media. 

Until next time... be thoughtful, be present, be kind!
Picture
0 Comments

Light Up Your Senses with these Five Acts of Kindness

9/23/2019

0 Comments

 

Acts of Kindness Week of 11.23-29

Did you know Touch is the first of the five senses to develop in humans? Physical contact is essential to brain development and human growth, especially in babies and toddlers. According to an article by REUTERS, "Touch is essential for babies' development for their physical, emotional and eventually social health.

What about teens, do they need hugs too? Psychotherapist Virginia Satir said, "We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance, and twelve hugs a day for growth." Wow, that is a lot of hugging time in one day! 

Sight is the last sense in human development, for the apparent reason that when babies are born, they open their eyes for the first time outside the womb. As our minds develop, our vision helps us define our responses to situations. 
Harald T Schupp believed visual cues were responsible for emotional categorization. Dr. Schupp studies found that "Visual attention can be voluntarily directed toward stimuli and can have a negative or positive emotional outcome." 

Now it's your turn, try lighting up all your five senses this week by doing these five acts of kindness:  
  1. Give away hugs. Give twelve hugs a day to your family and friends. (Touch) 
  2. Listen to a friend in need. When you hear about a friend that needs a little extra support this week, take time to listen to them. (Sound)
  3. Leave flowers on a neighbors doorstep. Pick or buy flowers and drop them off at a neighbors house this week. (Smell)
  4. Bake cookies and share them. Bake your favorite cookie recipe and share them with others. (Taste) 
  5. Share a photo that shows kindness. Go to Google Images and type in kindness photo. Choose one (or more) and share it with a friend, colleague, student, parent, etc. (Sight)
Until next time... be thoughtful, be present, be kind. ​
Picture
0 Comments

Choose the Force of Kindness

9/20/2019

0 Comments

 

Friday Weekly Kindness Recap

Happy Friday! Wow, this month is going by way too fast. Do you agree?  How are you and your students doing? If you are noticing some burnout, take action now by doing acts of kindness for others, and practicing self-kindness. 

Here is your recap of the week of September 16 - September 20:
Five Acts of Kindness. Just like in Star Wars, technology has a dark side and a good side. And just like Luke Skywalker, we need to make a decision on which force we will join. So, which side did you join this week? How did you use technology this week with your acts of kindness? How many text messages did you send? How did your SnapChat kindness streaks go? Did you inspire others to join the streak? 

Blog Post: Monday Kindness Challenge September 16, 2019 

KindNews. Lending a hand to someone in need is this week's theme for our Kind News spotlight. These three stories are all about love, kindness, and innovation. 
  1. Lending a hand to someone in need should be second nature. This story of a 2-year-old from Texas will show you just how easy it can be to help someone in need. A small gesture of kindness toward a new friend. 
  2. Innovation from the heart is the best kind to create. "See a need, fill a need," is the motto for the Disney movie Robots. Check out what one man invented for his brother. Man Designs Tabletop Garden Bed for People in Wheelchairs. 
  3. Hats off to this bus driver! Her kindness has touched thousands of people. This story is a must-read. When Crying Student Boarded Bus Driver Held his Hand friend. 

Self-Kindness. A survey by the American Psychological Association found that nearly half of teens, 45 percent, said school pressures stressed them out. In most cases, the stress is from academics, not social issues or bullying. While practicing self-kindness this week, remember that we all need a little downtime to recharge our batteries. 

Blog Post: Avoid Burnout with These Acts of Self-Kindness 

Kindness in Action. Post your pictures using #iChoose2BeKind or #KindnessInAction, and we will post them to our blog & social media channels!
Picture

Article on Kindness.  There is a big debate about students having access to their cellphones in the classroom. What do you think, should we allow cellphone use in school? Or do you think we should help the students learn the proper way to utilize the smart-device? 

Blog Post: The Debate is Real, Should Cellphones be Allowed at School? 

Until next time... be thoughtful, be present, be kind. 
0 Comments

Avoid Burnout with These Three Acts of Self-Kindness

9/18/2019

0 Comments

 

Wednesday Challenge: September 18, 2019

Even though school has been in session for a little over a month, teachers and students can already show signs of stress and burnout. 

A 
survey by the American Psychological Association found that nearly half of teens, 45 percent, said school pressures stressed them out. In most cases, the stress is from academics, not social issues or bullying.

Patrice N. Douglas, a licensed marriage and family therapist, says, "Going more than seven days without taking a day off is harmful on your body and mind." Dr. Douglas recommends we take one to two days to recharge our batteries by either catching up on some needed sleep or doing something you love.

While practicing self-kindness this week, remember that we all need a little downtime to recharge our batteries. Trust us, everyone (including you) will be a better teacher, student, parent, friend, and person for it. 

Do these three acts of self-kindness this week and tell us how you feel by using #iChoose2BeKind on your favorite social media channel. 
  1. Disconnect. Unplug from all devices and spend time in the real world. You can do this for a couple of hours or all day. You can do this alone or with someone else. You can stay at home or go out.
  2. Take a nap. Catch-up on some much-needed rest, we are all super busy, and napping is a great way for your body to shutdown. 
  3. Make a date with yourself. Schedule a special day and time on your calendar for you to be you. Perhaps, you can take yourself to the movies, an art gallery, or take yourself out to lunch. Enjoy the time doing something you know you would love to do. 
​
Until next time... be thoughtful, be present, be kind.
Picture
0 Comments

The Debate is Real, Should Cellphones be Allowed at School?

9/17/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
There is a big debate about students having access to their cellphones in the classroom. Edweek's article, Schools Say No to Cellphones in Classroom, points out the fears parents, teachers, and administrators have, "Sexting. Cyberbullying. Googling test answers. Taking a picture of a quiz and sending it to friends who have the same class later in the day. Paying more attention to Instagram notifications than biology class." 

​Some districts have new policies that set limitations or bans for the use of cellphones throughout the school day, even during lunch. California Governor, 
Gavin Newsom, signed Assembly Bill 272 in early July allowing school districts the right to restrict or prohibit device use in class. According to Edweek, a few more states are looking to follow California. 

While 
others are saying, "It's better to keep cellphones in school and help train students how to use them responsibly, rather than just banning their use." Teachers agree, "We should be teaching our students how to utilize educational apps, navigate through the online world of social media, and teach them how to self-regulate. We should be teaching these things at home and at school."

What do you think, should we allow cellphone use in school? Do you think we should help the students learn the proper way to utilize the smart-device or do you believe we should ban them from school? Let us know your thoughts by adding a comment to our blog or posting on social media using #iChoose2BeKind

Until next time... be thoughtful, be present, be kind.
0 Comments

Five Ways You Can Use Technology to Spread Kindness

9/16/2019

0 Comments

 

Acts of Kindness for week of 10/16 - 10/22

Just like in Star Wars, technology has a dark side and a good side. And just like Luke Skywalker, we need to make a decision on which force we will join. 

The dark side of technology and students are things like, cyberbullying, Googling test answers, sexting, air dropping a picture of a quiz to a friend, viewing social media, and playing on apps while in class. 

The good side of technology and students are things like, independent learning by using tools such as Grammarly, Kahoot, Quizlet, and Khan Academy. Students can also spread a little kindness using technology. 

This week we challenge to use the force of kindness to do these five acts:
  1. Make a get better soon video. Using your smartphone, create a short video for an absent student. Gather a few friends or create it alone. Tell the person, you hope they get better soon and you missed seeing their smiling face at school today. Then, send them the video via text, email, or DM them on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Alternately, you can show them the video in class on the day they returned. 

  2. Send a kind email. Send an email to a friend, colleague, family member, neighbor, etc. that says why you enjoy hanging out with them, the qualities you like about them, your favorite memory, and how much you cherish their friendship. 

  3. Kindness streaks on Snapchat. Send a kind word, picture, meme, or video to a friend on Snapchat every day this week.

  4.  Make compliment videos. Make short videos using your smartphone, giving a compliment to each classmate. Then, upload the footage, tag your school, and post it to your favorite social media account. Alternately, you can show the videos in class every day for the rest of the year. 

  5. Text kind messages. Grab your phone and text five people this sentence: Thank you for being my friend. I want you to know I appreciate you and all you do for me. I admire you because of _____________________. (Fill in the blank ideas: your kind heart, the way you listen, the warm hugs you give, you make time for me, the kindness you show others, your dedication, etc.)
    ​
Report back and tell us how it felt to be kind to others. Comment on our blog or social media using the #ichoose2bekind

Until next time... be thoughtful, be present, be kind. 
Picture
0 Comments

Ward Off Bad Luck with Kindness

9/13/2019

0 Comments

 

Friday Weekly Kindness Recap 

Picture
It's Friday the 13th! We can help you ward off bad luck by sharing some KindNews with you. We'd even bet you will have fantastic Karma today if you did all of your acts of kindness this week. Extra Karma points for sharing how it went, tell us about it using our #iChoose2BeKind when posting on social media, or you can post a comment on our blog. 

Fun Facts to Talk About in Your Classroom. There are many myths about why Friday the 13th is bad luck, here are three of the most popular:
  • Myth #1: On October, Friday 13, 1307, hundreds of Knights Templar were arrested and then burnt across France.
    ​
  • Myth #2: Paraskevidekatriaphobia is the fear of Friday and the number 13. Approximately 8% of people in the United States have this fear.

  • Myth #3: When Judas betrayed Jesus after the Last Supper, only 13 guests were sitting at the table. Now the number is considered unlucky. 
Here is your recap of the week of September 09 - September 13:
Five Acts of Kindness. Did you feel your brain getting happier this week? How did it go? What kind of sweet treat did you bring to share? Who did you give a heart attack, did their heart beat faster? How many people did you schedule a time to connect? And your neighbor, did they love your meal? And what did the bus driver, school custodian, parent volunteer, office staff member, resource teacher (or whomever) do when you said thank you?

Blog Post: Monday Kindness September 09, 2019

KindNews. Kindness in sports can seem so rare, or at least the news doesn't often cover it when it happens. This week is for all you sports fans out there. Check out these three stories that show kindness in front and behind the limelight. 
  1. When Tennis Champ Sees Young Competitor Tearing Up After a Loss, She Pulls Her into the Spotlight for Some Love. We've all won and lost a game. Taking a moment away from your triumph to hug your opponent shows your true character. 
  2. Olympian Sells Medal to Fund Child's Cancer Treatment. A touching story that will have you thinking about the "things" we have verses the contributions we make.
  3. Mom is Grateful for Football Player Who Chose to Have Lunch with her Son Who has Autism. A little kindness goes a long way, no matter how famous you are, this young boy was sitting alone at lunch, and then he suddenly had a friend. 

Self-Kindness. When we exercise self-compassion, we do not feel the need to look for the approval of others. Additionally, when we are kind to ourselves, we invite others to be kind to us too. So, what are you waiting for?!? Do these three acts of kindness of self-kindness this week.

Blog Post: Science Backs Practicing Self-Kindness

Kindness in Action. Post your pictures using #iChoose2BeKind or #KindnessInAction, and we will post them to our blog & social media channels!
Picture

​Article on Kindness.  Kaffenberger & Seligman report that 20 percent of students need mental health services, and only one in five students can get the services they need. One of the primary places for students to acquire social and emotional skills is at school. Read our blog post below to find resources for helping your students with social and emotional learning (SEL). 

Blog Post: Social & Emotional Learning is Getting Much Needed Attention

Report back and tell us how it felt to be kind to others. Comment on our blog or social media using the #ichoose2bekind​

Until next time... be thoughtful, be present, be kind. ​
0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Kindness on Campus

    Sign up for our Kindness eNewsletter!
    * indicates required

    Tweets by @21DayKindness

    Note From the Founder

    Hello. I am the founder of the 21 Day Kindness Challenge Program.
    I believe if we focus our efforts on helping our young people develop good character values and teach them how to listen with their hearts their world will be a kinder place to live. It is my hope that my story inspires others to “be the change they want to see in the world.” 
            ~ Justina Bryant 

    Archives

    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015

  • About
    • Videos/News Articles
  • Packages & Pricing
    • Kindness eBook & eGuides
    • Classroom Edition
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
  • Request Estimate
  • How it works
  • Blog
  • Login
  • Store