PSYC Good Deed Day is coming on Oct 8th!

The Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland is leading an international effort to do good. On October 8th, and as part of our recognition of National Mental Illness Awareness week, we invite everyone to join in on a day of good deeds. Participants will be invited to stop by the department and share their good deed on a community visual art display, and log their good deeds on our tracker. 

What started as an idea for engaging with students in the Psychology major here at UMD to do something good for a fellow human, quickly blossomed into something much larger, say's Dr. Michael Dougherty, the chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland. "I posted an invitation to a listserve for the Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology and within a few minutes, I had 10-15 department chairs who wanted to join in. We now have over 75 total departments involved across North America and beyond."

Participating psychology departments are encouraging their students to do one small good deed on October 8th -- something that they wouldn't normally do. Examples include holding a door for a stranger, sending a thank you or get well card to someone they know, buying coffee or lunch for a stranger, or volunteering for a charity. While we might think of good deeds as something we do purely for others, it turns out that being kind has a positive impact on "givers". Research shows that doing kind things for others can have lasting effects on anxiety and depression-related symptoms, in a good way. Thus, being kind isn't just a nice thing to do, it's a legitimate way of boosting your overall mental wellness.

"We're extremely excited about this event and pleased that there has been so much energy surrounding this effort across the psychology community", says Dr. Dougherty. Don't let the name fool you. While we want people to make an extra effort on Oct 8th, we're hope that doing good become a habit, so that everyday is Good Deed Day!

If you want to learn more about the positive benefits of being kind and how you can get involved, check out the Good Deed Website.

Image Credits: iStock

Published on Fri, 09/12/2025 - 06:48