10 Ways To Be A Nicer Person Today

Are you looking to become a kinder person? Check out this guest blog post for ten actionable tips on being more compassionate and understanding in your everyday life.

It should be simple to be nice to others, but not as easy as it sounds. Other people can be a little unpredictable, and your reaction may be gut-centered, and suddenly, you find yourself reacting to them rather than being empathetic with them.

So, how can you be nicer and simultaneously protect your mental health? I mean, you don’t want to become a doormat; you want to be friendly and assertive at the same time. Otherwise, people will walk all over you, and you don’t want to be sickly sweet and seem disingenuous, so where is the balance?

I have ten ways you can be a nicer person and how you can still maintain your self-identity and not be drawn to the path of being a doormat.

How To Be A Kinder Person

Start With Yourself

Being nicer starts with being nice; you must compliment yourself on your achievements, style, and looks. How can you be nice to others if you can’t be nice to yourself? Being nice to yourself increases your self-esteem and boosts your confidence. When you are pleasant to yourself, it will spread to other people; you will be genuinely happier and kinder.

Understand Other People

We all have problems; sometimes, people wear them on their sleeves, while others keep them pent-up. Understanding and behaving positively helps others know you care about them and that their issues are valid and not all about you. As humans, we tend to be selfish and think only our problems matter, but by doing this, we end up with a greedy world. So be there for people; hopefully, by being nicer, they will be there for others.

Be On Time

Don’t leave others waiting around for you. This shows a sign of disrespect and is not a nice thing to do. Being punctual suggests that the other person’s time is essential, so you are respectful. Continuously running late shows you are more concerned with your well-being than the other person; being nicer is about respecting the person you are due to meet. If you struggle with time management, consider learning new skills to help you with it.

Own Up To Your Own Mistakes

Stop blaming other people for the mistakes and problems in your life. Admittedly, people can cause your problems, but how you deal with them is the primary concern. You stop the blame game by addressing your issues, which means you are nicer to others. Accept that there are things that need to change, and you are responsible for this; in doing so, you will free up your mind to stop blaming and start doing. Learning to own up to your mistakes is a massive part of becoming more self-aware and growing emotional intelligence.

Pay It Forward

You may or may not have heard of the term, but paying it forward means that if someone does you a good deed, you go out of your way to ensure the excellent act is passed on to others. There is much to be said about paying it forward; imagine how great the world would be if we all did this. Accepting the good deed you have received and being determined to help another show you respect the person who initially gave, and you respect the person who will benefit in the long run.

You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Stop Judging

We all do it, even if it is quietly in our minds. We become critical of others and what they do, and for those of us who voice this opinion, it can reduce the other person’s self-esteem and ruin their day. If you’ve got something to say and it in no way helps the situation, keep it to yourself. Sometimes criticism is needed to grow, but if the comment is purely vindictive, keep it to yourself; it will do you no favors or the other person. It will also affect your mental health, seeing another person suffer.

Let Go Of Anger

Anger can ruin a person, so letting go of it is paramount. Harboring angry thoughts can even affect us physically regarding stress and our hearts. So, being anger-free is being nice to other people. But it is easier said than done, and you need to work out ways of releasing anger. I find the best way to release anger is through journaling. Writing down all my thoughts, burning the said paperwork, and shredding them into tiny shreds of paper will help me send the anger out into the ether and not internalize it anymore, which will be projected in my demeanor towards other people.

Commit To Random Acts Of Kindness

Kindness is often overlooked as we all hustle and bustle about in the world, but committing to being actively kind to people can work wonders for your mental health. The golden rule states that you should treat others how you want to be treated. This means that it starts with yourself and avoiding negative comments you may make about yourself. Then, you can transfer this kindness to others by helping them out, such as volunteering. Do you know what? Helping others face to face increases the hormone oxytocin, the love chemical so that you will feel good.

Smile A Lot

People respond well to a smile, and they also respond well to someone happy in themselves. So, it would help to smile more often as it creates a pleasant feeling for others to see and makes you feel better. I don’t mean fake it till you make it smile, people will see straight through this, but I mean the smile which comes from inside, you can’t pretend this, and by being a nicer person to yourself, you will have more of these smiles in the storage room of your heart.

Forgiveness

Forgiving others is not easy, but forgiveness frees you, which is good for your mental health. Holding onto negative thoughts and constant reminders of negative thoughts is not being nice to yourself. You can still forgive but not condone the action against you. Try saying the mantra, “I forgive you, and you are now released.” It is about releasing the person from your heart, where you want to store good thoughts and feelings. Removing the other person frees you to be kinder to yourself, which means you will be nicer to others.

I hope the above ten tips help you become a nicer person. They will also help your mental health, and anything that can do that in our current climate is worth a shot.

Peace and Blessings,

Lou Farrell