4 Impactful Ways to be a Better Person
One of my greatest joys in life is to help the people around me—whether it’s connecting a friend with a new job opportunity, sharing tips on making home and work more joyful through my Friday Five newsletter, or recommending my favorite products and services. Being helpful comes naturally to a lot of people but some people may find themselves at a loss for how to help those around them.
Being a better person is not a goal we can reach, but a constant practice, and I’m always learning new ways to have a positive impact on the people in my life. If you’re looking for impactful ways to be a better person, read on to learn four of my top tips.
1. Act on your urge to be generous
Sometimes we hold ourselves back from being generous because we're feeling shy or don't want to be taken advantage of. Maybe we think it'd be awkward, or that we’d be creating an expectation of that act of kindness happening all the time. But not doing the nice thing in the moment can leave us with regret.
I encourage you to act on the urge to be generous when you feel it.
Tell the barista their earrings are fantastic
Leave a note on your coworker’s desk letting her know you value her presence on the team
Compliment the older gentleman’s suit at the grocery store
We rarely regret doing the nice thing for someone.
2. Edit your use of disability language
Many of us grow up hearing and using slang words without considering the origin of the words or how they might negatively impact people in our communities. I really appreciated The Newsette’s highlight of common slang words to stop using and the Disability Language Style Guide from the National Center on Disability and Journalism. They remind us that some of the language we use passively can be hurtful to others.
We can aim to be more inclusive in our language by considering how some of the terms we use may affect persons with disabilities and choosing different words to use instead.
3. Send grief groceries to loved ones
How many times have we told a loved one to "let me know if there's anything I can do" when they are experiencing a loss or going through a struggle? It’s practically the default response for most of us. When someone is going through a hard time, they may not know what they need, or they may just have trouble asking for help.
A more impactful way to show up for the people in our lives that takes the burden off of them to ask for what they need is to just take action and offer something very specific that you know will lift a burden (like taking the kids to the park for a couple hours).
Dropping off “grief groceries” (or having them delivered) can be incredibly help. Think of things that don’t need a ton of preparation—quick meals, comfort snacks, anything that keeps your people nourished without requiring too much effort. Even better, send a digital gift card to their favorite local restaurant.
4. Use Post-its to help friends find jobs
If you're like me and occasionally hear about friends and former colleagues looking for their next job, create a little private place to keep track of the names of those currently looking.
Keep a Post-it by your desk with their names on it and a little note about their field of expertise. Whenever a job posting pops up in your network, you just check the Post-it and think about whether any of them might be interested, then send it to them.
That simple act can make a huge difference in someone’s life.
Want more tips?
If you’d like more tips like these, my popular Friday Five Newsletter is the best place to get them every week!
About The Author
Jessica Eastman Stewart is a consultant, workshop facilitator, and podcast guest expert. She teaches busy professionals how to get more organized at home and at work so they can stop feeling worn out and start living a Joyfully Managed Life! Thousands of readers drop everything when her weekly newsletter, The Friday Five, arrives in their inbox. Every Friday, you’ll get FIVE amazing tips to help life feel INSTANTLY more joyful and easy!
