Psychology has taught me about the immense benefit of just being nice. The simple act of being nice to someone can not only have profound effects for them, but it can also be beneficial for yourself.

When we do something nice for someone, we may find ourselves questioning our intent in our heads: why did I help this person? what difference did it really make? Is it worth it?

It wasn’t until I took the time to reflect and really listen to the thoughts in my head, that I was finally able to answer these question: I help others because everyone deserves to be helped. It really doesn’t matter how big of a difference it makes, every situation is different. It is always worth it.

Some people say that kindness is a weakness, but I believe that being truly kind is a strength that takes courage, humility, and requires a level of vulnerability and emotional maturity.

A few months ago I decided that I wanted to prioritise the practice of kindness in my life. Not only kindness towards others, but kindness to myself.

I had volunteered for a few years before I had my first child and had found the experience rewarding. So, I decided that a good way way to both learn and practice kindness was to volunteer at a youth shelter.

Speaking with the other volunteers has been a huge eye opener about how selfless some people truly are. Some people were giving up so much in order to help the disadvantaged youth, who were often seemingly ungrateful strangers.

It was so inspiring.