10 Ways to Make the World a Better Place, Even While Socially Distant
Earn karma, fond memories, and the warm fuzzies of doing a good deed — while staying 6 feet apart
Good intentions are useless until they’re expressed in appropriate action.
— Napoleon Hill, 1937
I think about this quote a lot while I scroll through Instagram.
So many of my friends are talking about gratitude these days. They have pictures of them in Thailand, grateful for past travel, they post selfies on the beach, #blessed.
Meanwhile, my friends in the Peace Corps, my friends who are nurses and doctors and up to their elbows in stress — they don’t post anymore.
And me? I’m somewhere in between, not exactly stocking up on Hepatitis vaccinations or antimalarials to spend years on sustainable agriculture in developing nations, but neither am I still able to #humblebrag in my posts as if Covid hasn’t changed anything.
I no longer think gratitude is enough
Gratitude is a noun, a mindset, not a verb. Gratitude makes you feel better, and therefore improves your life, but as for the world outside your head, nothing changes.
Gratitude is great when we suffer from anxiety or depression. But right now, a lot of stressors are environmental, not mental. Income, education, child care, health care, and many other things incapable of being improved by a shift in mindset are worsening.
So when you have a free moment, and you want to help others, what should you do?
How to do good while socially distant
This is a list of things you can do right now to make the world a better place. None of them require you to have a medical degree. None require committing years. All of them can be done in a safe manner while wearing a mask and/or remaining outdoors.
They’re simple, easy, and they will help, a little.
1. Donate to a noble cause
Sometimes, the easiest way to quickly do good is to empower others already doing the heavy lifting. And due to unexpected financial instability in many households, cash donations aren’t pouring in at the same rate they once did.
But if you start to feel guilty that you’re not the one rolling up your sleeves — remind yourself that you worked for that cash, and just because you’re not ladling the soup out yourself doesn’t mean you aren’t providing. These are difficult times and charities couldn’t function without the 1–2-punch of donors like you and the effort of in-person volunteers.
Of course, even if you aren’t flush with extra cash right now there are nine more ideas on how to make the world a bit brighter:
2. Reward someone
Next time you pick up groceries or drive through Starbucks, keep your receipt and dial the customer service number to rave about the employee who helped you.
This part might be controversial: To rave about their service, lie if necessary.
Jobs in the service industry are difficult, underpaid, and rarely have moments of reward at the best of times.
During Covid, service industry employees are risking their health for the same low paycheck while enduring customers who are scared for their health and perhaps overly demanding. So even if your server was more surly than you’d normally want, take it in stride.
When I worked at Best Buy during college, I would re-read positive customer comments when I needed to collect myself and finish the gosh-awful 12-hour Black Friday shifts. It was the only thing that kept me going when the caffeine stopped helping.
Be the cause of a smile today.
3. Make a stand
Call, write, or email a local representative over something you think is unjust. Can’t think of something? Google someone you admire and see what political causes they support.
LeBron James had More Than A Vote, Janelle Monáe has an Instagram account that’s updated regularly with ways you can help, and there’s always Bill and Melinda Gates’s list of volunteering resources that doubles as a list of causes if you’re stumped!
4. Make a call
These days, most of us know a shut-in. We have a family member that doesn’t get around so well anymore, or a neighbor that can’t drive. So maybe you’ve heard their odd political rants too often, or worry that you’re not close enough to merit a phone call out of the blue, but squash that feeling and pick up the phone or schedule a Zoom meeting to just chat for a while.
You might not realize how much a friendly ear means.
I’ve begun texting with my godmother, who is hardly a shut-in, but has moved across the country. And our little volley of dog photos or new recipes, back and forth, has brought us closer. So for me this was never purely altruistic — I’ve gotten so much from reaching out to say hello that it has never felt like a chore.
5. Compliment someone
And not on their appearance. Take a moment to think of someone you admire, and write them a little note to tell them why you think they’re awesome.
There’s a chance they’ll think the email is strange, but there’s a greater chance it will make them smile.
6. Recommend someone
Take a moment to sign in to that god-awful LinkedIn, and write a recommendation for someone that worked for you once. Don’t cop out and merely acknowledge a skill with one of those quick-click recommends, actually sit down and write a thoughtful recommendation.
Maybe it will help them find a better job, negotiate a raise, or build their job security.
7. Use your skills
Leave a pot of your famous chili on the porch of a busy mom. Wear a mask over and repair a neighbor’s sink. Edit your younger cousin’s college entrance essays. Remote in to fix a friend’s computer. Ask nothing in return.
Surprise someone with your help if you think it would make them smile.
8. Donate blood
This is a simple one, really, as long as you qualify.
9. Ask how you can help
Social media has taught us to share our best moments and to retreat to the comments of other people’s posts when times are hard. We don’t share our lows anymore, so you could very likely have friends in need and be completely unaware.
Text your friends and say you have a free hour, can you help with something? Pick up their groceries? Help their kid with a math problem? Figure out a tax issue they’ve been butting their head against?
The problem they are facing is unlikely to be what you expect, so don’t be afraid to say so if you think you can’t help beyond allowing them a chance to vent.
10. Be kind to yourself
Take a moment and relax, clear your head, and think about how to recharge your batteries. Sometimes that actually means being a little selfish.
After watching my folks care for elderly loved ones in their home for over 4 years, I realized that the kindest people have a horrible habit of putting their own needs last.
Take some time today to do something special for yourself if that’s what you need. Don’t be afraid to ask others for a reprieve on whatever is draining you, either. You might think someone is unwilling to help, but in this chaotic time, it’s likely that they’ve been too busy to realize how much you’re struggling.
Remember, life is a marathon, not a sprint, so taking care of yourself is always the priority. You can’t help others if you’re hurting or exhausted. Recharge today.
Take care, my friends. We’re in this together and we’ll get through this together.
