Give genuine compliments to random people every time you can.

Say "hi" with a smile, to people you pass by, even if it's fake. The end results are the same to the recipients.

Be kind to service workers.

Patience, thank yous, and trying to understand how to make their job easier (e.g. not waiting to look at the fast food menu until you're at the front).

Short, low stakes practice.

Be gentle with yourself. For example if you make an error, withhold calling yourself stupid, or think it. Reassure yourself that errors happen, and learn from it.

Paying anybody a small compliment is free.

Take extra time to consider other peoples' perspectives or take notice if they're acting different than usual. You might be able to make them smile when they need it, or understand their frustration a little better or even find a way to help them without them having to ask. Some people want help but don't know how to express it, so paying some extra attention can let you figure it out without making it seem like they're being needy or whatever.

Mindfulness. Note your behaviors. Note what leads to your behaviors. It'll give you insight into what in your life and in your mind leads to "kind" actions as well as what leads to "unkind" actions, which is a huge part of the effort to become more kind.

Ask questions and don't assume you somehow know a person or their life better than they do. Nothing more annoying than a person attempting to "help" but ends up coming across as a condescending dismissive asshole.

Have you tried essential oils?

When you go through a self-closing door and someone is just a few steps behind you, keep it open.

Leave a solid 1.5 to 2 car lengths between you and the vehicle in front of you while on the highway. When someone wants to merge into that space, let them and recreate the separation. It's a kindness not just to those who merge into the space, but to all drivers as it makes travel for everyone safer and lower stress.

Be careful where you do this. If you have to scan a badge to enter someplace like your office DO NOT DO THIS!

Leaving gaps also prevents having to slow down or stop as often and reduces traffic congestion overall.

Also if they are struggling to figure out something(scanner not working, getting weird error due to network connection issues, trying to find an obscure option you requested etc) be quiet and let them work. Don't try to make small talk, let them concentrate on what they are doing.

Look people into the eyes and smile a little whenever you talk to them. Everytime. After a while, learn to smile bigger. Then learn to actually smile while talking.

say thank you, please, and etc. basic manners and courtesy to others.

It blows my mind that almost nobody does this anymore. I go to like coffee shops and stores and etc every other day, and basically nobody says this to sales people anymore. It's insane to me how objectively rude so many people are to other people who are helping them.

it's so bad that it's gotten to the point i've had people tell me i'm wrong for saying these things to service people. becase 'it's their job you shouldn't have to thank them' etc.

No, that's creepy/weird as fuck.

Smile when you genuinely feel something. Don't be fake and try to manipulate people.

Also, you must be American? Only Americans have this weird obsession with smiling constantly and thinking that if you aren't smiling you're an asshole.

it should be 1 car length per 10mph of speed. 2 car lengths isn't enough at highway speeds, it should be several, because as speeds increase your reaction time shortens and so does the force of impact

and what do you do when you do this and they call you an asshole or scowl at you?

unless it's at work and they contact HR for harassment.

my work has specific guidelines on what compliments are permissible in the workplace.

If you're asking, then you're probably on the way already. Mindfulness of the way other people feel (also known as empathy) is a massive part of being kind to other people.

Simply live life knowing that everyone is their own person with an equally complex life as your's and treat them as you would like to be treated.

All your assumptions are wrong. Should I say something about your IQ now? /s

You're not wrong and good luck getting anyone to do that. Can you imagine how much easier/nicer/more efficent travel would be if people would do this?

Offer blowjobs without asking anything in return.

I was taught the 3 second rule. If you drive 3 seconds behind, the space will adjust to the speed.

I've never experienced that. Either the people are thankful or do not react at all.

Context is important. That is for sure.

A few years ago we had an situation at an old office of mine. Someone held the door for a person who wasn't an employee(the employee was trying to nice and assumed the other person worked there, with like 900 people in the building you can't know everyone). Women commonly left there purses at their desk and some men left their wallets. This other guy walked around the cubicles while everyone was getting coffee/tea/water before starting and just grabbed all the purses and wallets. He stole from like 30 people, walked out a back door and was never found.

Pick up litter and dispose of it properly.

Ok I think people are not a bad person for not saying it but how does one even conceive that these words could be negative? Do the people who say this have some kind of superiority complex or are they trying to live out their dom fetish or something?

I have never heard any worker from the service industry ever say they wanna hear less kind words. The fuck.

If you see a nail on the road, pick it up

This is so hard. I am doing all the other stuff regularly but this one will always be my nemesis.

I wouldn't call it mindfulness because that has a weird spiritual undertone but I fully agree.

I specifically wanna highlight that the most important actions of kindness are small things and whenever you remember to be kind you will automatically respond that way, because it will be your modus operandi in social interactions. It sounds cliche but the truth is if you prioritize it, it sticks in your mind and often those tiny interactions reflect what is important to you.

That said of course this is not a substitute for taking the effort too. Sometimes it's annoying to say an extra phrase of kindness but it's important.

For someone who is too far gone to be kind, staying away from other people is a great kindness.

Cheapens the phrase if you use it all the time

One time I called myself stupid in front of a friend who without missing a beat said "don't say that about my friend!" in a super offended voice and I think about that all the time.

Daily metta practice can be helpful.

Im not sure if this will make you kinder but I find many many people skip very easy oportunities to make a small improvement in the world. These things are miniscule but they are things everyone can do all the time. Grab a cart from the lot if you pass one by that is not in a choral as you go to the store. Pick up litter that you pass by and toss or recycle it. I live in a condo complex and if my neighbor have packages that are easy enough to carry I bring them up and put it near their door and they actually now do the same for me. Not only a great convenience for us both but a great little human interaction for us both that makes us closer neighbors. Hold a door for someone, offer a seat on a train. Just keep in mind if you have an oportunity to do something that is scarcly and inconvenience for you but makes the world a better place. I would add smile when you see people. Be nice whenever you can and even return rudeness or such with strangers with kindness. You don't have to deal with their stuff every day so its easier to be pleasant and move on.

Yeah if you say the exact same phrase to the same people. But if you're genuinely kind you adapt to the moment and then you stop sounding like a robot.

And also this doesn't apply to service workers who I will probably come across a handful of times only. And to them it's probably more of an offset to the shitty experiences they had that day.

TL;DR theoretically yes, practically no.

It's like a muscle, it gets better with practice.

That friend sounds cool.

I agree, just giving an example of why someone might not want to say thanks all the time. I save it for when they actually look at me

Not if you say it in earnest.

I tell folks, "Be safe."

Doesn't sound like much, but a lot of folks I say that too change their attitude to me if it's poor. They see I care about them enough to want them to be safe.

Also asking everyone at drive thru before I take my order. "How are you doin' today?"
Bonus points when they reply and ask how I am.
I'll say "I'm alive n kickin'."
Which if they say "that's good." Or something I reply "that's what they tell me, but I think they're lying."

I have gotten so many laughs out of it.
Folks just not excepting me to say it.

And just being nice to anyone. Giving em the goddamn time of day.

I have underlying issues that force me to sacrifice my mental health just to survive, and thus I lack the safety margin to be gentle to myself.

I wanna get to a point where I can practice kindness on myself but I am not in a position where I can do so at this point.

Thanks

I've been there before, I totally understand. Stay safe.

I'm telling you, this works. Each day, pause to think of three things for which you are grateful. It can be big or small. Examples that I've used: that I got to spend the evening with a close friend who has a typically busy schedule, that I slept especially well the night before, that the book I was reading turned out to be a good one, etc.

Sometimes it's something profound about how someone positively mentored me when I was younger. Or small stuff like knowing that there's a piece of cheesecake waiting for me in the fridge. The point is to do it every day. It's kinda awkward getting going, but then it becomes second nature and they come to mind effortlessly. I am convinced that it's made me a calmer, nicer, more understanding person.

On a first date, someone said I was so incredibly polite. I was like, all I do is say please and thank you because my mother taught me it's the right thing to do. She was responding to my placing an order at a coffee shop.

You're welcome