Random or intentional, every act of kindness counts. Today, on World Kindness Day, the clinical psychology team at Executive Mental Health reflects on three stories of kindness they\u2019ve encountered at home, in their communities, and at work, each one of them an expression of simple ways to make others\u2019 and our own lives better. From delivering boxes of blessings, offering a simple and unexpected word of thanks, or via the warmth of freshly baked blueberry muffins, these three mental health practitioners show how one considerate act can turn into a team-wide pact for kindness.<\/p>\n
\u201cEarlier this summer, my church conceived of an idea to reach out to nursing homes and to provide support to their patients and staff during the pandemic. The hope was to encourage the frontline workers who risk their lives and health working in SNFs, in addition to the residents who continue to live in these environments.<\/p>\n
Knowing that I work in nursing homes, I was asked to contact one of my facilities to determine if they would be open to receiving what was called, \u201cA Blessing Box\u201d for staff, and an orchid and a handwritten note of encouragement for each resident. I reached out to Rinaldi, who were more than happy to receive the blessings \u2013 it was even featured in a local news story. I helped to deliver the orchids and boxes to Rinaldi, and I was able to personally give orchids to my patients there, patients who I had not seen in person for months due to being restricted from making in- person visits. It was profoundly meaningful to be able to be a part of this, and I\u2019m grateful that I was able to connect my church with Rinaldi.\u201c \u2014\u00a0Dr. John Lee, Director of Clinical Psychology<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cA small act of kindness can go a long way. Last week I was shopping at Target and saw one of the employees cleaning the freezer door handles. I went up to him and thanked him for helping to make the place safe. A few minutes later, he came up to me and said, \u2018Thank you for saying that, it really made my day.\u2019 It was nice to be reminded of the small things we do and say that can make a difference and how kindness can have compounding effects.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Dr. Michelle Feng, CCO<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThis past month, my neighbor, who is an older gentleman, became ill and was hospitalized. He lives alone and has a caregiver come to his home every day. During our run-ins at the mailbox, he would share with me how lonely life can be for him. He is now retired, has no family to visit him, and has struggled with declining health for years. I remember he always appreciated our conversations whenever we saw each other around our community. I wanted to show him that others care about his wellbeing, so when he returned from the hospital, I baked him some blueberry muffins and delivered them to his home with a Get-Well card. His caregiver received these on his behalf and excitedly shared that he would be happy to have these with his morning coffee. That brought a smile to my face. It is incredible what a home-cooked treat or meal can do to spread warmth to others.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Dr. Jennefer Ho, Clinical Manager<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Random or intentional, every act of kindness counts. Today, on World Kindness Day, the clinical psychology team at Executive Mental Health reflects on three stories of kindness they\u2019ve encountered at home, in their communities, and at work, each one of them an expression of simple ways to make others\u2019 and our own lives better. From…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2444,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n