World Kindness Day is a day that celebrates the act of being kind to other people, strengthening our connection toward others, and having compassion for ourselves.

This year, The College Of Lake County decided to celebrate by hosting a virtual kindness meditation via zoom.

The event was hosted by the counseling and psychological services department;  they discussed the benefits of meditation and led participants into a ten-minute guided meditation.

Benefits of meditation include soothing minds, balancing thoughts, and nurturing a sense of happiness.

Although World Kindness Day is an annual event globally, this is the first year that CLC is hosting a kindness meditation for the special occasion.

Nicole Wuerl, a staff therapist and prevention specialist at CLC, contributes to helping CAPS plan events for the campus.

They created the event to help students in a positive way.

“We hope this event will be beneficial to CLC students and impact them in a positive, nurturing way. Loving-kindness meditation is the practice of mentally sending kindness and warmth toward others and ourselves,” said Wuerl. “Research has shown that practicing loving-kindness meditation can help us soothe our minds, give us a sense of calm, connect us to empathy, and nurture our compassion toward ourselves and others.”

Wuerl continued to mention how it is essential now more than ever that we show ourselves kindness, and one way of doing that is through meditation.

“During times of stress and uncertainty, it is important that we take care of ourselves and each other. It is also important that we acknowledge our emotions with gentleness and understanding and support one another,” said Wuerl.

While CLC has decided to host this event for World Kindness Day, there are many other ways to celebrate it.

“Doing a random act of kindness, engaging in a good deed, volunteering for an organization or cause you care about, expressing gratitude to others…are some ways we can further honor the day on an individual basis,” Wuerl said.

The meditation event showed students that we should be kinder and more compassionate towards ourselves and others. Not just on World Kindness Day, but we can do this meditation anytime and help create a more positive world.

Times of uncertainty can often make us forget many important things, like caring for ourselves and others. However, it is crucial to cultivate those feelings of compassion, love, and empathy and help others join in on it.