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Being a Good Neighbor

For anyone who barely knows the people living around them. Each day is one small, low-pressure way to be friendly, helpful or simply noticed on your street, in your building or in your town, so home feels a little more like a community.

Kindness · Relationships · Loneliness · one to-do a day · you choose how many days

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The first seven days

Day 1Walk to the end of your street or hallway and back, and simply notice which homes look lived in and who is out and about.
Day 2Wave to the first neighbor you see today, even if you have never spoken before.
Day 3Learn one neighbor's first name today, and write it down somewhere you will see it again.
Day 4Say good morning to anyone you pass between your door and the sidewalk.
Day 5Spend ten minutes on your front step or balcony today, visible and unhurried, so neighbors can see a friendly face.
Day 6Greet a neighbor by name today, using the name you learned recently.
Day 7Introduce yourself to one neighbor you have seen often but never met: "Hi, I'm in number 12, I don't think we've properly met."

Further into the year

The to-dos keep changing as the year goes on. A few from later in this theme:

Day 30Pick up your pet's mess right away on every walk today, and carry an extra bag in case someone else needs one.
Day 60On a very hot day, check that an older neighbor nearby has a way to stay cool, or knock to ask if they need anything.
Day 120Rake leaves on a fall afternoon and offer to rake a corner of a neighbor's yard too.
Day 240Offer a neighbor a jar of jam, pickles, salsa or another thing you made.
Day 365Tell a neighbor you are glad they live nearby.

How a challenge works

A Theraglee challenge is a theme with one small to-do for every day of a year. You choose how long yours runs, anywhere from a week to the full year, and each day you get the next to-do: something that takes a few minutes and fits inside an ordinary day. Tick it off when it is done. Nothing is scored and nothing is lost if you miss a day; the next to-do is simply waiting when you come back.

Challenges come with a free Theraglee account, which never asks for a card. Your progress stays private to you.

Challenges like this one

Keeping in Touch from a Distance For anyone whose family or old friends live far away. Each day is one small way to stay part of each other's lives across the miles, so distance does… Making Friends as an Adult For grown-ups who would like more friends but are not sure where to start once school is behind them. Reaching Out to People For when your circle has gone quiet or you have been keeping to yourself. Each day is one small, low-pressure way to reconnect with someone, so… Settling Into a New Place For anyone who has moved recently, or who still does not quite feel at home where they live.

Reading that goes with it

Going Somewhere Else in the Middle of an Argument Halfway through a disagreement you go flat and far away, and afterward cannot remember what either of you said. When People Keep Telling You How Strong You Are Meant as the highest compliment and one of the loneliest things to hear. Why it closes the conversation, what you quietly stop saying, and how to… Telling a Partner About Something That Happened You have carried it for years and they do not know. How to decide whether to tell, how much to say, and what to ask for when you do.

Educational only — not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Find a licensed therapist if you want support.