By Susan West

As someone reading this Red Cross blog, you’re probably already a very nice person, so don’t take this with a “duh.” But for the next several days, and especially on Saturday, February 17—Random Acts of Kindness Day—we’re inviting you to kick your kindness up a notch.

Everyone knows that doing good makes us feel good; the smallest favors can yield huge mood boosts. But do you know just how big of an impact a small act can make? In a series of experiments described in Scientific American, social psychologists Amit Kumar and Nicholas Epley came to a striking conclusion: We sell ourselves short. People who perform random acts of kindness tend to underestimate how much the recipients value the gesture.

This was true of kindnesses done for familiar people as well as complete strangers. For example, people who gave out free cocoa on a cold day saw the favor as “relatively inconsequential,” while it really mattered to the recipients, the researchers found.

And kindness can be contagious, leading to a verified “pay it forward” effect. Here are some (mostly free) ideas:

• Be nice, not just neutral. Smile at everyone. (Fake it if you have to.)
• In the store, look your cashier in the eye and thank them.
• Let the other car merge first. Always. (Unless your passenger is in labor.)
• Be fully engaged in your interactions; one of the greatest gifts you can give someone is your undivided attention.
• Thank a teacher.
• Pay for the person behind you.
• Bring muffins to work.
• Walk the neighbor’s dog.
• What the heck, write a check.

In troubled times, simple kindness is a light that shines on us all. The truest altruism is anonymous; the kindest kindness is selfless. Your act in and of itself will bring you joy. Don’t self-congratulate on social media; instead, sit with your satisfaction and bask in the glow of your helper’s high. Some stranger somewhere will remember, because you were kind to them when nobody else was.