Dear Dartmouth,
What makes an action compassionate? Whether that means letting someone have your seat, staying patient with a barista at a coffee shop, or foraging for wild mushrooms for a friend (as my partner just did for me. Yay for morel season!), active compassion is any step taken for the benefit of another person.
Acts of kindness (even small ones) are enormously powerful when it comes to making others feel cared for and seen, but what’s more is that they have an incredible impact on the person being kind – YOU! They boost feelings of confidence, happiness, and optimism while reducing feelings of depression and anxiety (psst….these are really helpful things during finals). And the really cool thing is that acts of kindness are contagious. When people witness others being kind, they are more likely to be kind themselves resulting in a happier, kinder community.
So, as we delve into our final week of spring term that is chock full of festivities and final projects, papers and exams, let’s take a moment to consider how we can take compassionate action to bring more ease and kindness into the lives of our friends, for ourselves, and for the greater community.
Here’s how to get started during finals week:
- Find a Study Break Buddy – Although most of us know that study breaks are highly beneficial for our academic success, they are hard to come by for many. Help a friend from burnout from planning study break sessions with them. Maybe you meet for a quick iced chai or just have a 5-minute chat. Planning time together, even 5-minutes, will be an accountability gift for both you and your friend.
- You’re done with finals but your friends aren’t! First celebrate that you made it through and can now take a break. For your friends who have work that has yet to be completed – let them know you are thinking of them by surprising them with their favorite snack or drink, or send them an encouraging text of support saying “You got this!”, or sneak a post-it note in one of their books with a meaningful quote or funny inside joke. It might just be the thing they need to keep going…with a smile.
- Check in and listen – for some, the end of the term may be full of mixed emotions. Although happy and celebratory for many, it may also mark uncertainty in relationships with so many ‘23’s graduating. For others, it might be a time where they are coming to terms with returning to a food desert or an area that doesn’t feel as safe and certain as the Dartmouth campus does. Remember, we are all coping and dealing with things differently, so try not to assume this is a happy time for all. Check in with friends and give others your complete presence as we transition out of this term and into the summer.
Sending kindness and a wish for an ease-filled wrap up of spring term to you all!