Did you know that acts of kindness and care make us feel calmer, healthier and happier? They are also one of the most powerful ways we can co-create healthier futures for people and planet.
Doing something kind and caring for others releases serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins in the body, which help us to relax, reduce anxiety and feel good.
Even more amazing is that kindness and care are infectious!
We feel good when we do something kind and caring
Others feel good when they receive acts of kindness and care
Others feel good when they witness acts of kindness and care
We can spread the kindness infection and create more caring communities and a more caring world simply by daring to care.
Introducing the Dare to Care Toolkit!
We all have the power to change our world. One of the most powerful tools at our disposal is our capacity to think and act more ‘care-fully’.
When we go about our daily habits, we sometimes don’t think too much of the consequences - and yet every action we take produces ripple effects in the world. When we go about our daily habits more carefully, we can begin to create more positive, supportive and empowering ripple effects for ourselves, for each other and for the planet.
The Care Calculator is a great tool to help think more deeply about the actions we take, the decisions we make and the footprints we leave behind us. Using the Think - Feel - Connect questions, we can begin to welcome a more consciously caring culture in our own lives, schools and wider communities. We’re delighted to be sharing the calculator with you along with some lesson activities to get you started.
Who cares?
We might think that other people around us don’t care about looking after our world, but research from Common Cause Foundation and the Dirt is Good project help us to understand what is called ‘the perception gap’. The reality is that most people have very altruistic values and do really care. Check out this great video to learn more:
Our research tells us that the majority of young people are compassionate – approximately 90% of them say that caring for other people and planet is very important to them. However, they don’t think that others share their values and this can leave them feeling very isolated in their concerns. Global Action Plan UK and Unilever (2021).
