Random acts of kindness can improve mental well-being and strengthen workplace culture
By Angela Civitella
Edited, August 15, 2026
A kind workplace is not one where people are expected to be cheerful all the time or solve one another’s problems. It is a workplace where small, voluntary gestures of respect and support help people feel seen, included, and connected.
That might mean thanking a colleague for a specific contribution, welcoming a new team member, or offering a defined bit of help when someone is under pressure. Research suggests that everyday prosocial acts can benefit both the giver and the receiver—and may encourage others to pass that goodwill along.
It can be a real pleasure working in a friendly environment, where people greet one another with warm smiles and show genuine interest in colleagues’ wellbeing.
When was the last time you surprised someone at your workplace with a cup of tea or coffee, just because you thought he or she might need it? Or how long has it been since a colleague brought in donuts or cakes, just as an unexpected treat for everyone? It can be a real pleasure to work in a friendly environment where people greet one another with warm smiles and show genuine interest in colleagues’ well-being. And sometimes all it takes to create that positive atmosphere is a few “random acts of kindness”.
It’s entirely possible to have a productive and hardworking team in a workplace that is efficient, but ‘cold’ and impersonal. Perhaps you work in an industry where staff turnover is high, and it is difficult for people to get to know one another. But you and your team can make things much better by sharing a little kindness.
In this article, we explore what random acts of kindness mean and how they can benefit you and your team. Maybe you’ll feel inclined to try it out sometimes.
The ripple effect of kindness
There’s nothing complicated about a random act of kindness. What matters is that the gesture is sincere, appropriate, and welcome. Writer Anne Herbert is thought to have coined the phrase in 1982, when she wrote “practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty” on a placemat at a restaurant in California. Her book Random Kindness & Senseless Acts of Beauty was published in 1993.
The idea has proved immensely popular. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has established an annual International Random Acts of Kindness Week and promoted February 17 as Random Acts of Kindness Day in the U.S. It has endured because it captures something simple: small, unprompted gestures can make a real difference in another person’s day.
There’s nothing complicated about a random act of kindness. What matters is that the gesture is sincere, appropriate, and welcome.
A workplace can be productive and efficient while still feeling impersonal or disconnected. High turnover, remote work, busy schedules, and demanding deadlines can make it difficult for colleagues to form meaningful connections. Thoughtful acts of kindness can help create a more supportive atmosphere, one small interaction at a time. A 2018 workplace study involving employees in Spain found benefits for both givers and recipients of small acts of kindness.
Recipients reported greater happiness over time, while people who performed kind acts reported lower levels of depression and greater job and life satisfaction. The study also found a significant ripple effect: employees who received kindness later reported substantially more prosocial behaviour toward others than those in a comparison group.
The benefits of kindness
In his book Born to Be Good, Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, says it’s in our nature to feel compassion for others and act on it, even when there is no obvious personal reward. When we see someone in distress, our innate human response is to help. The roots of this behaviour may be based in our survival instincts: people who support and help one another are more likely to develop stronger social bonds and thrive as a community.
While random acts of kindness are meant to benefit the people receiving them, numerous studies show that the people doing the good deeds also feel pleasure and happiness, because when you perform random acts of kindness, you help build high-quality connections with your team members. Kindness can also boost workplace life through its knock-on effects.
For example, if your kindness makes someone feel happy, she will likely be more engaged and successful. What’s more, people who feel supported and part of a friendly, inclusive team will be less likely to feel angry or stressed.
Numerous studies have shown that the people doing the good deeds also feel pleasure and happiness as a result.
There is a saying, “One good turn deserves another”. That means if you do someone a favour, they’ll likely repay you in kind. And the same can be said for random acts of kindness. They can create a “ripple effect” whereby the person you help may be inspired to do the same for someone else, and so on in a virtual cascade of kindness. In fact, psychologist Jonathan Haidt says that even witnessing an act of kindness can prompt someone to follow suit.
Here are a few low-pressure ways to make someone’s workday a little better:
- Send a colleague a brief note thanking them for a specific contribution.
• - Welcome a new employee by explaining an unwritten process or offering to answer questions.
• - Invite someone to join you for lunch, coffee, or a short walk—without making them feel obliged.
• - Give credit publicly when a colleague has done good work.
• - Tell a colleague’s manager about a contribution that deserves recognition.
• - Offer practical help with a small, clearly defined task when someone is overwhelmed.
• - Share information, resources, or contacts that may make another person’s work easier.
• - Check in with a colleague who has had a difficult week, while respecting their privacy.
• - Make space in a meeting for a quieter person to contribute.
• - Smile, say thank you, and acknowledge the people whose work may often go unnoticed.
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Small gestures cannot replace fair pay, reasonable workloads, respectful leadership, psychological safety, or meaningful action against discrimination and harassment, but they can help strengthen day-to-day relationships. When people feel acknowledged and supported, they may feel more connected to their colleagues and more comfortable contributing to the team.
Think about what would benefit the people around you, or try to spot anything specific someone may need. The most meaningful acts of kindness are often specific. Instead of saying, “Good job,” try: “Thank you for staying calm during that client call. Your preparation made a difficult conversation much easier.”
TIP: Change your activities every so often. Doing the same thing over and over can get boring and lose its impact. Similarly, doing acts of kindness for only one person or group may leave others feeling left out. To keep your acts of kindness from becoming routine or seeming like favouritism, get creative, add variety, and spread the warmth around.
Thoughtful, not performative
A kind gesture should be voluntary, respectful, and suited to the person receiving it. Not everyone is comfortable with public praise, gifts, personal questions, or social invitations. They may feel they have nothing to give, don’t deserve kindness, or question the motive. A gesture that feels welcome to one colleague may feel intrusive to another. It is also important to spread kindness fairly. Repeatedly favouring one person or a familiar group can unintentionally make others feel excluded. Varying your gestures—and paying attention to colleagues who may be newer, quieter, remote, or less visible—helps create a more inclusive culture.
The kindest leadership choices are practical ones: protecting focus time, recognizing effort fairly, communicating clearly, and making workloads manageable.
Managers have a particular responsibility here. A spontaneous afternoon off, for example, may be appreciated, but it should align with workplace policy and be offered equitably. More often, the kindest leadership choices are practical: protecting focus time, recognizing effort fairly, communicating clearly, and keeping workloads manageable.
A small place to start
Compassion, empathy, and generosity are ordinary human capacities, but giving and receiving kindness can sometimes feel awkward. People may worry about being misunderstood, appearing vulnerable, or owing something in return.
That is why the simplest gestures are often the best. A sincere thank-you, an offer of specific help, or a moment of attentive listening can communicate respect without creating pressure.
Small acts of kindness will not fix an unhealthy workplace culture on their own. Still, they can reinforce the human connections that make work more collaborative and humane. This week, consider one thoughtful act: recognize someone’s contribution, help remove a small obstacle from their day, or make space for a colleague who might otherwise be left out.
Feature image: freepik
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Angela Civitella, a certified management business coach with more than 20 years of proven ability as a negotiator, strategist, and problem-solver creates sound and solid synergies with those in quest of improving their leadership and team building skills. linkedin.com/in/angelacivitella/ • intinde.com • @intinde
