and hello to you and welcome to the Richard Nichols podcast, the Personal Development

podcast series that's here to help inspire, educate and motivate you to be the best you can be.

I'm psychotherapist Richard Nichols, and this episode is all about kindness.

And if you're ready, we'll start the show.

Happy November, everybody. How was your Halloween?

Hopefully you had enough treats for any costumed visitors and nobody egged your house.

If so, it may be some consolation that World Kindness Day is just around the corner

on Monday the 13th.

So hopefully that'll lead to some nicer experiences. Hopefully nobody changes lanes in front of you without signalling and then sticks their fingers up at you.

No one lets a door slam in your face when you're carrying multiple bags of shopping and everyone's got a smile on their face just for a day.

Sounds like living in an episode of Postman Pat, doesn't it?

Sounds lovely.

But I think if you went into the day expecting that, you're likely to have been a bit disappointed.

I don't think it's pessimistic to lower our expectations a little bit.

And it is a shame that we need an international awareness day

that basically just says, don't be a dick, just for a day.

Because I mean, that should be everybody's attitude anyway, shouldn't it?

It should be everybody's family motto.

Noly essay dickhead. I'd love to think it goes without saying. But I don't think that

being kind is always the right answer when it comes to boosting mental health. Now, we are a

social species. So, yes, it is true. Doing things that are for the good of the group is also good for us.

There's stacks of research to back that up.

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