Want To Feel Good? Do This!

Maybe one reason we love Thanksgiving and Christmas is because we think about being grateful and doing for others.

Studies consistently find that spending time, money, or energy on others leads to greater happiness and well-being.

In one study, 46 people were given a small amount of money ($5 or $20) and told to spend it on themselves or someone else. Those who spent the money on someone else reported being happier than those who spent it on themselves--regardless of the amount!

Another study of nearly 8,000 participants had the same result.

💥 Giving to others seems to take away our pain. When subjected to electric shock or the pinch of a tourniquet, people reported less pain after doing something altruistic.

💥 It doesn't have to involve money. Donating blood makes you feel good, as does volunteering, particularly because you can see the results of your actions.

💥 It's physiological! MRI imaging has found changes in the brain as the result of doing something for others.

💥 It makes a lasting impression. People who helped others reportedbeing more satisfied with their lives and jobs and had fewer depression symptoms up to two months later.

💥 The effect of altruism is found in multiple cultures--it may be part of being human.

💥 It's even true with children. Children younger than 2 seem to find joy in giving away their possessions. Toddlers asked to donate their Goldfish crackers seemed happier than when they received them!

Choose to hang out with generous people

Helping others benefits not only the person giving and the person receiving the aid. People who witness acts of altruism tend to feel better and less cynical about the world in general.

I've often heard that one of the quickest ways to get out of a funk is to do something for someone else. Studies have found that happier people tend to engage in more altruism, and more altruistic people feel happier.

As a Georgetown psychology professor said, helping others "...changes how you think about yourself as a person. It fosters your belief in a world of people who try to help each other.”

The world could use more of that!