Natalya Edwards
Did you know being nice is good for your well-being? I’m not making it up; studies prove this!
Genuinely nice people are infectious to be around. They treat others respectfully, see the good in people and know how to uplift their spirits.
In this article, I’ve compiled a list of things that genuinely nice people do every day without even realizing it. We could all be a little nicer, so applying the following things in this list will help us do just that.
1. They treat people with kindness
It’s a given that genuinely nice people treat others with kindness. I always go by the saying ‘treat people how you want to be treated’ in how I approach others.
Nice people want to make others feel good, which they do through their words and actions. This could be something as simple as smiling, complimenting how someone looks, or refraining from gossiping about other people.
The thing about genuinely nice people is that they’re empathetic, so they care about how others feel. They also realize they don’t know what someone’s been going through behind closed doors, so it pays to be kind, no matter the circumstance.
2. They smile a lot
You can spot a nice person from a mile away, even if you’ve never spoken to them, by how they smile.
Nice people smile a lot. They smile when they greet someone and in conversation. You may even catch them smiling for no reason!
I mentioned that nice people smile to make others feel good, but they also smile a lot because of how positive they are. They look on the bright side of life and see the good in things and people too.
Did you know it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile? So, get smiling!
3. They are positive
Let me tell you. It’s hard to be a genuinely nice person when you’re negative. If you always think negatively about everything, this will translate to the way you think about and treat others.
Being negative makes it easier to be critical of yourself and other people (and judgmental).
But nice people choose positivity, which helps them to be kind, compassionate and respectful towards themselves and those around them.
Being positive might not come naturally to many of us, but it all starts with the way you think. Once you can consistently change negative and critical thoughts into positive ones, you can become kinder and more compassionate.
4. They practice gratitude
Practicing gratitude each day also helps nice people to be positive.
Focusing on the negative makes it’s easy to miss out on what you’ve got going for you, like a roof over your head, warmth, a loving partner, friends and family or a good job.
You might also forget nice things people say to you during the day if something bad happens, as it can cancel out all the good stuff.
You can practice gratitude by journaling and writing down the things you’re grateful for or the good things that happened to you each day.
By actively focusing on the positive, you’ll naturally focus less on the negative.
5. They practice self-care
They also take care of themselves. Positive thoughts help with this, but they make sure to take care of their bodies too.
Little things like exercise, walks in the park, healthy eating and getting enough shut-eye all help nice people feel good about themselves.
Self-care helps with your mental and physical well-being. If you feel good about yourself, then it helps you treat others well in the process.
6. They are respectful
Nice people treat others with respect, which isn’t surprising as kind and compassionate individuals.
They’re the kind of people to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. If they make a mess in your house or in public, they’ll clean up after themselves. They won’t belittle others for having a different opinion than theirs. They’ll respect it.
Nice people also stick to the rules. You won’t catch a genuinely nice person being loud and rowdy in a library, where you’re supposed to be quiet. They’ll keep their heads down and browse or work silently, as to respect everyone else.
Respect goes beyond how they treat others, as nice people respect others’ time too.
For example, if their job interview is arranged for a specific time, they’ll get there early. If they are late for any reason, they’ll call ahead of time to explain the situation so they don’t waste the interviewer’s time.
7. They keep an open mind
Because nice people respect others, they keep an open mind.
They are not ones to judge and criticize someone for having an opinion, or lifestyle different from theirs. They want to understand why someone has another viewpoint and learn about their culture.
Genuinely nice people enjoy learning, whether it’s through travel, books, or other people. They want to familiarize themselves with the unfamiliar, so it helps them to understand different points of view.
Their open mind also means they understand that there are always two sides to every story. They’ll take the time to learn both before coming to any judgement.
8. They really listen in conversations
Their willingness to learn about other people makes them good listeners. You can’t learn without listening, after all.
Have you ever had those conversations where it feels like someone’s just waiting for you to finish talking so they can get all their stuff in? They might not even wait and just talk over you.
You can tell they’re not listening to a word you’re saying.
This doesn’t apply to nice people. They want to hear what you’ve got to say. About how you went trekking in America, solo travelling in Spain, or how you came to own your puppy.
You can also tell that nice people really listen by how ….
9. They ask questions
They follow up on your stories with questions because they want to know more. ‘When did you go trekking in America?’ ‘How long for?’ ‘What made you want to travel alone in Spain?’ ‘Did you speak Spanish?’ ‘What’s your puppy’s name?’ ‘Do you have a picture I can see?’
Nice people are genuinely interested in what you’ve got to say, and they’ll remember what you said too.
If you tell a genuinely nice person you’re going away for a few days, they’ll ask you how your trip went the next time they see you. Or if your child is poorly, they’ll text you, asking if your child is feeling any better.
Again, this comes down to the fact that nice people are compassionate and genuinely care about people.
10. They help others
If you need help, a nice person will try to help in any way they can.
I’m not necessarily talking about a grand gesture like giving away half their life savings for a charitable cause.
It could be something as little as baking a cake to cheer a friend up, offering words of encouragement, or a text letting their friend know they’re thinking of them. Giving advice to help someone out or helping out with the shopping. The list goes on.
11. They also encourage and motivate others
They also like to motivate others to be the best version of themselves.
When you tell certain people you want to do something, you might be met with criticism. For example, if you wanted to move to the city for a new job.
But a nice person will be happy for you and encourage you to move if that makes you happy.
When I told my Mum about my career change into writing, she was nothing but supportive and encouraged me to follow my dreams. My Mum is a super nice and generous person, so her response came as no surprise to me.
If a nice person is ever doubtful about your decision, they’ll offer constructive criticism. At the end of the day, they want you to succeed, and so they’ll give advice that will help you do just that.
Final Thoughts
Being nice and doing nice things is not just good for you. It’s good for others as well.
Take care to look after your mind and body, treat others with respect and kindness, and help out where you can.
We could all do with being nicer in what can sometimes be a cruel world.
Remember, we’re all in this together.
