Why Giving Is Good For You
Anyone can tell that giving helps others. Your gift can offer emotional, financial, and other forms of support to your friends and family or any other recipient when you give. But giving can boost your happiness too.
Studies show that charitable actions can positively affect your health and happiness. Giving to others not only does good, it makes you feel good.
Studies report various other benefits. From reduced blood pressure to increased self-esteem and stress levels, giving is excellent for your health and well-being!
Why else is giving good for you?
It makes you feel happy. A Harvard Business School professor observed that giving other people money lifted respondents and increased their happiness more than spending it.
● This conclusion is interesting because you'd think people would rather be happier spending on themselves. But giving, instead, gives people greater happiness.
● Another professor at the University of California also observed similar results when she asked participants to do five acts of love every week for a month and a half. These two studies teach us that giving has a positive effect on our mood.
You get a greater sense of meaning. Giving also helps us better understand ourselves and our relationship to the world. When you give, you find out what you are truly capable of. You find out you can make a real difference.
● And that can make life more meaningful. We know we're contributing to something bigger than ourselves when we give.
It can increase your lifespan. People in old age, who have tapped into their generosity, tend to be healthier than those who don't. So, donating your time, money, or skills can make you live longer.
● Recent research shows that people above 55 years who give to charity are more likely to live five years longer than those who don't. That even accounts for other age-related health concerns and habits like smoking and drinking.
● The conclusion? Giving to charity can make you live a longer, happier, healthier, and more enjoyable life.
The act of giving encourages social connection and cooperation. When you give to someone in need, you're more likely to feel closer to that person. That closeness can help you develop deeper relationships.
● Also, when you give, there's a good chance that you'll get back in return. A lot of research -- like those from sociologists like Brent Simpson and Robb Willer -- concludes that what you give will get rewarded in time.
So, giving can be good for your health, help others, build stronger relationships, and increase the quality of your life.
You may not have the financial resources to give as much as you'd like, but you can choose to provide in other ways, like your time or energy. Volunteering also helps the community and gives you the feeling that you're making a tangible difference.