Learn to Give

 

Would you like to feel happier and calmer while helping to make the world a better place? Research shows that the simple act of giving to others can have profound mental and physical benefits, altering brain activity and triggering positive emotions. When you spread kindness in your community through gifts, charitable donations, incidental acts of kindness, and community service, you can experience positive changes in your health, including reduced stress and anxiety, and an improved mood. Donating can also help you stay healthy and live longer. Overall, the volunteers are happier and healthier than the others. You were born to give . Scientists have found that children help others even when they are too young to learn how to be nice and kind. Even young children, who are known not to want to share, are happier when they give than when they receive. A University of British Columbia study found that young children who were asked to hand out treats were happier when they shared them with others. The researchers interpreted the results of this study to mean that people's satisfaction increases when they engage in prosocial behaviors such as volunteering and giving. We all have a reason to be kind and return the favor, but sometimes we just need to nurture that part of our lives.Unfortunately, if neglected, negative life experiences can destroy this beautiful instinct. How a donation changes you Numerous studies have shown that a donation improves our lives: • Giving improves health. Research shows that giving leads to better health. In his book, Why Good Things Happen to Good People, Stephen Post, a professor of preventive medicine at Stony Brook University, explains that giving to others has been shown to increase the health benefits of people with chronic illnesses. Additionally, a study conducted at the University of California, Berkeley suggests that giving can improve physical health because it helps reduce stress.Finally, a joint study by Johns Hopkins University and the University of Tennessee shows that people who help others have lower blood pressure than others. • The gift encourages an attitude of gratitude. When you give to those in need, you feel grateful because it gives you a different perspective on things. And gratitude is another essential ingredient for happiness and health. Volunteering gives you insight into the world and helps you appreciate what you have. • Donations promote social bonds. Several studies suggest that when you give, your generosity is ultimately rewarded by others. These positive actions foster a sense of trust and collaboration that strengthens your relationships. Also, when you give a gift, you feel a connection to the person you are giving it to. This is all important as positive social interactions are essential to good mental and physical health. • Giving inspires others. Whoever receives a good deed usually wants to pass on this positive feeling and help others. Researcher James Fowler of the University of California, San Diego found that a single act of kindness can elicit many more acts of kindness from others, creating a chain of generosity. • Giving increases happiness. When you make others happy by giving them a gift, encouragement, or support, you experience a physiological change called a "helper high.""It's a euphoric physical feeling that comes from the brain releasing chemicals called endorphins. This "high," similar to the drug-induced experience, makes you feel good naturally, with a sense of joy, excitement, and less depression: the positive energy is similar to what you feel post-workout.