KindnessCan

May 21, 2020

kindness

noun

the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

KindnessCan deserves a blog post all on its own, to be the center of attention, and after we showcased a sneak peek of who and what ‘KindnessCan’ is, we decided it needed to be featured and given the spotlight.

KindnessCan is a movement initiated by the dynamic ‘kindness’ duo: Jane Linley-Thomas and Paul Bushell, inspired by the idea that kindness can change the world. Through simple acts of kindness, we can change our relationships with ourselves, other people, and the greater world. KindnessCan is a movement of Talks, Workshops, Activations, Podcasts, Videos and so much more. The emphasis of this work is giving people information and practical resources on how to achieve more kindness in their lives. This includes tools like affirmations, visualisations, kindness challenges, journaling, and other self-care practices.

Paul

Paul Bushell is a psychologist and author of the book ‘#Raisingkids To Thrive in a constantly changing world’. With local and international working experience, Paul is a regular commentator on emotional intelligence and purposeful living. He believes that every act of kindness – no matter how big or small – has the potential to change the world. He offers a variety of Talks and Workshops on various topics including, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, Mindfulness and Career Development. Paul is also the co-founder of the KindnessCan Movement and the co-host of the KindnessCan podcast series.

Jane

Jane Linley-Thomas is a radio personality that has been with East Coast Radio, KZN, South Africa since 2003. Jane is mom to 3 precious children, including a set of twins. When Jane isn’t connecting with people through the medium of radio, she is spreading the word of love and kindness through kindness workshops and her work as a kindness corporate coach. She is also an award-winning Personality, Podcaster, Kindness Facilitator, host on the app ‘Moms Heart’ and owner of The Kind Studio.

If you have ever met Jane, you will know she is a burst of colour and sunshine. She is authentic, approachable, and warm. If Jane Linley-Thomas were to appear in the dictionary, you would find the following words next to her name: “high-energy, passionate, inspirational and exuberant”.

They have come together to bring the world a series of in-room and digital workshops focusing on various aspects of mental well-being and emotional coping. This now also includes specialized digital modules for school and corporates looking to upskill the emotional coping and well-being of their members. These modules include activities, podcasts, videos, and interactive tasks.

These are just some of the module’s focal points:

Goal-setting

It is important to start with the end in mind. In this workshop, Jane and Paul help participants work backwards from where they want to be, how they can get there, who can support them, and what they need to do today to get there. This includes a series of hands-on and practical activities.

Managing Fear

Fear is a powerful emotion that can be debilitating to our health and personal and professional development. It can become a blind spot to our happiness and performance. Learning how to manage our fear is both liberating and empowering. In this workshop, Jane and Paul get participants to understand how fear operates in our mind, body and behaviour. They then provide practical and useful tips for managing fear and panic using Cognitive Behavioural Techniques.

A Kind Relationship with You

We are in a relationship with ourselves. The state of this relationship is reflected in the way that we talk to ourselves and the way that we treat ourselves. It is easy for us to neglect this relationship

The way that we take care of our physical appearance is a reflection of how we feel about ourselves. Taking good care of our appearance doesn’t need to be expensive. It is an important part of the way that we treat ourselves, and invite others to treat us.

Showing up

The world of work is constantly changing. Growing the right attitude can go a long way in being relevant (and promotable). More and more research shows that an attitude of showing up and getting involved is just as important as skills and qualifications. This means letting go of entitlement and getting stuck in.

Depression and Anxiety

Mental health has a significant impact on our health and performance. It is important to take care of your mental health, and check-in on what you are thinking and feeling and how this starts to affect your behaviour and habits. Anxiety and Depression are a reality that many South Africans face. You are not alone, and help is closer than you think.

Kindness Culture

We all need to be part of the kindness revolution and economy. We have a vital role to play in making a culture a kind culture. There are so many social, physical and emotional benefits to being kinder to ourselves and others. It is not always easy in competitive spaces, but it is possible and uncomplicated.

Parenting

Parenting is a tough job that affects so many parts of our life. It is so important to manage our thoughts, feelings and behaviours on the parenting journey. Join us for a real and practical approach to be being better parents.

Embracing Diversity

We are lucky to live and work in such diverse spaces. It is so important for our personal and professional growth that we learn how to embrace this diversity, and see this as a strength and opportunity, as opposed to a threat.

Work-Life Balance

Finding a work-life balance takes constant reflection and practice. It’s easy for our personal and professional goals to be side-lined as the year unfolds. Here are some practical ways to refocus your goals and find your balance.

Bouncing Back

Bouncing back from a hard meeting, a series of disappointing calls or hard feedback is vital to success. Learning resilience and grit is empowering, but takes effort and patience.

The power of Empathy in Communication

There is a fundamental difference between sympathy and empathy. Learning to be empathetic in communication is key to better personal and professional relationships. This takes better listening, body language, and responses.

Top Tips

Here are their top tips for staying kind to yourself and others during these strange and unsettling times:

Plan. Start each week or day with a clear plan of what you hope to achieve. Break this down into a list of realistic and measurable activities that you can tick off as you progress.
Get organized. Make sure your space is neat and organized. Clutter and mess can make us feel more anxious and out of control. Make a clear workspace, including all the things that you need to do your work and a few things that motivate and inspire you. This can include post-it messages with quotes or encouraging messages or photos of loved ones.
Routine. Try and keep to a balanced routine: eating, sleeping, working, exercising, and relaxing at similar times each day and within a balance.
Watch your feelings. It is okay to experience a range of feelings during these strange times. Check-in with yourself from time-to-time. Notice how some feelings start in your body or with your habits. Journal and write down your different experiences. There is no shame in sometimes not being okay. Talk about your feelings. Ask for help if you need it.
Digital media. It is easy to escape our realities and feelings by spending too much time on passive activities, like digital and social media (TV, video games, social media). This can make you feel worse. Limit the amount of time you give to media, and how you use it.
Move. Moving our bodies, increasing our heart rates, and getting fresh oxygen into our system is good for our body and mind. Exercise (and that includes stretching) releases chemicals in your brain called endorphins that improve your mood.
Reach-out. We might be spending more time apart, but it is important to stay connected and reach out to our people. Rather than scrolling through social media, send a message, make a call, start a video call with friends, family, colleagues.
Be kind. Find ways to be kind to yourself, the people around you and your community. This can be through your words, messages, volunteering, and following government guidelines. This includes letting yourself rest and enjoy doing things that you love and that make you feel better. It means sharing positive media. It means smiling at people and showing respect and compassion.

Get in touch

For more information on KindnessCan, please contact info@kindnesscan.co.za or visit the website www.kindnesscan.co.za

We must agree with the KindnessCan movement- the power of kindness cannot be ignored. It is such a simple concept and one that requires no money, resources, or energy. It is something everyone can relate to, and something everyone wants to be imposed on them. Imagine a world powered by kindness? A world that is no longer suffering at the hands of war, hunger, human rights violations, and injustice. It has the power to improve our own well-being, health and happiness as well as that of our families, friends, acquaintances, and strangers. Seems like a no-brainer to us!

Mind, Wellness