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Do something kind for a friend or stranger. Thank someone, smile or say hello. Give your time to a community group or help a neighbour. Helping others can give you a sense of purpose and belonging, build friendships and make your community a better place.
When we give to others, it activates the areas of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection and trust. Altruistic behaviour releases endorphins in the brain and boosts happiness for us as well as the people we help. Studies have shown that giving money away tends to make people happier than spending it on themselves.
Scientific studies show that helping others boosts happiness. It increases life satisfaction, provides a sense of meaning, increases feelings of competence, improves our mood and reduced stress. It can help to take our minds off our own troubles too!
Even the smallest act can count, whether it’s a smile, a “thank you” or a kind word. Larger acts, such as volunteering at your local community centre, can also make a difference to the life of others and your own.
Whether large or small, helping others can make you feel happier and more satisfied with life, and strengthen or build your relationships with others.
Evidence suggests that people who give their time to others might also be rewarded with better physical health—including lower blood pressure and a longer lifespan. “Many people find volunteer work to be helpful with respect to stress reduction, and we know that stress is very strongly linked to health outcomes,” – Harvard Medical School.
Helping and working with others can also give us a sense of purpose and feelings of self-worth. Research shows individuals who report a greater interest in helping others are more likely to rate themselves as happy people. Research also shows that happy people can live up to 7 years longer.
“I started volunteering in a local neighbourhood initiative. I have been knocking on my neighbours’ doors to ask them to complete a survey about how well they know their neighbours. I now know so many more people and I have introduced a few of those I met to others I have met. It is wonderful to help people around me.”
- Manal“I was one that always thought, how can I help people [when] some days I can barely get out of bed myself. Then I came across some Youtube video on 5 ways and I realized that it can be as little as holding a door open for someone or letting them in ahead of me in traffic.”
- Katherine“I was on [a] tram yesterday going to work and I noticed an older lady struggling to get her shopping trolley up the step. I jumped up and gave her a hand. No big deal, but I considered it my random act of kindness for the day.”
- Fadi
