Now, just to be clear, I’m not an idealist who thinks that love
and charity alone is all that matters. I still make decisions based upon my
self-interest.
What I’m saying is that helping others should be done as much as
possible. Looking for ways to help others doesn’t just have a positive impact
on the people you’re helping, it’s good for everyone. We should want to help
others succeed in life because that, in turn, helps ourselves.
Here’s why:
1. It
makes you happy: the science of a “helper’s high”
Most of us want to feel like our lives mean something – that we’re
making a positive difference in the world. So it’s not surprising that several
studies have shown how helping others can boost our sense of happiness.
One study showed that helping others through volunteer work
increased levels of happiness in the participants.
In another study, people were given money to either spend on
themselves or give to charity. Those who gave to charity felt happier.
Happy workers are more likely to report that they regularly help
others.
Some studies have shown that children under the age of two report
being happier when they give treats away rather than receiving treats
themselves.
Scientists have been studying a phenomenon called “helper’s high”:
helping others releases endorphins which, in turn, improves mood and boosts
self-esteem. In short, helping others feels good. It’s possible that helping
others does more for the happiness of the person helping than the person who
receives the help.
2. It
builds stronger social connections to friends and community
Helping others isn’t a one way street where you do something good
for someone and then you both go about your way. When you’ve touched someone’s
life in a positive way, you feel connected to them; it’s a bonding experience.
It builds trust through cooperation which not only brings them closer to you,
it brings you closer to them.
When you choose to help others, especially if it’s face to face,
you’re entering their lives in a positive way, reinforcing social connections
as you go.
It reminds me of that student’s mother I met. If I hadn’t helped
her son so much, I would never have met her – she’d have no reason to meet me.
Because of my actions, I made another positive connection to the people around
me.
3. You
adapt better to stress and adversity by building resilience
It may seem strange, but helping others doesn’t add more stress to
your life, it actually helps us manage stress better.
In one study, college students took an immersion trip where they
helped the poor. Those who took this trip were assessed months later and were
found to manage stress and adversity much better than their peers.
Why is
that?
It’s about perspective. By looking at the challenges of others’
lives, you can take that point of view into your own. It makes you more
accepting of the stress and hardships we all have to face.
Sometimes we lose that perspective in a culture obsessed with
celebrities living glorified lives, seemingly carefree. But helping others
takes us back to reality by reminding ourselves that most people struggle – and
that it’s ok if we do too.
4. It’s
good for your career
There are many factors to think about when trying to find a
satisfying career: autonomy, creative freedom and meaning are a few examples.
But one of the biggest things to consider is how your work impacts others.
People who work as a medical professional, psychologist, religious
figure or firefighter often give high ratings of job satisfaction. The
connection between all of these professions is that they all help people on a
regular basis.
Those who are happiest in their job, more committed and less
likely to quit make it a priority to help others – either co-workers or
customers.
Even if your job doesn’t deal with people directly, it can help to
think about how your work helps people in some way. By taking time to think
about what you do and how it helps people in some capacity, you’ll feel better
about it – even if it’s just a little.
5. It’s
good for business
What’s the goal of a business? One answer might be making money by
selling a product or service. Yes, that’s true. But I’d take it a step further:
businesses make money by finding ways to help people.
Look at these examples:
- Google was created to make searching the internet easier and
faster, with better results.
- Gyms earn money by providing a place to exercise.
- Uber is trying to make on-demand car service better.
- Amazon simplified online buying and selling so it’s easier.
Businesses often seem shady because they’re seen as money-driven.
The image of a corporate raider using sneaky tactics to weasel their way
through a system is commonplace, and there is some truth to it. Not all
companies help others – cigarette companies for example.
But the companies that do best, focus on helping others and
solving their problems. Both Steve Jobs and Henry Ford revolutionized the world
by solving problems people didn’t even realize they had. Businesses that solve
problems in the best and cheapest way will win – and we win right along with
them.
6. Better
health; it can make you live longer
If you want to live longer, be a giver. At least that’s the
conclusion of a huge study on volunteer work. The link between better health
and helping others is striking.
- It lowers rates of depression and puts you in a better mood.
- It lowers your risk of dying by at least 22%.
- It’s good for your mental health.
The researchers were careful to not draw conclusions about why
helping others is so good for health, but it probably has something to do with
the social contact we make while doing it.
We’re hardwired for social interactions which includes a lot of
touch, eye contact and smiles. Such interactions release a hormone called
Oxytocin which helps us bond and care for others and helps us manage stress.
Not only that, but doing good makes us happier which, in turn, makes us
healthier.
7. It can
help you find meaning in your life
There’s a link between helping others and finding meaning in your
life. And it’s not just those who have already found purpose giving back.
Instead, helping others can actually CREATE a sense of meaning in our lives.
Helping others fulfills some of our most basic needs such as
connecting with others and seeing how your actions make a positive difference.
Those are the areas that help define a meaningful life.
The idea that there is a link between a meaningful life and
helping others is actually a rather old one. Carol Ryff, a psychologist,
reviewed the writings of numerous philosophers and thinkers throughout history
and found one overarching ideas: that helping others is “a central feature of a
positive, well-lived life.”
A meaningful life isn’t found, but created through our actions.
And it starts with looking for ways to help others.
asdfghj
ReplyDelete