The Health Benefits of Giving
The Health Benefits of Giving
Four ways working to improve others' lives may improve — and lengthen — your own
You don't need a doctor to tell you giving feels good.
But research can shed light on the science behind that helper's high — and long-term physical and psychological benefits that may follow it.
Why giving feels good
A study on charitable donation in which researchers performed functional MRI scans on donors' brains showed that after donating a part of their brains "lit up," or became active. (The MRI scans are used to detect neurological activity.) .
The part of the brain that controls feelings of reward and pleasure lit up. This is called the mesolimbic system, which is also activated by things like food, drugs and sex.
But that's just the physiology of it. There's also a growing body of research that links different types of giving to greater quality of life, including the following potential health benefits:
1. Greater self-esteem and satisfaction with life.
Much of the research focuses on volunteering for organizations or informally helping loved ones. Researchers consistently find that these activities can lead to greater self-esteem, life satisfaction and sense of purpose.
Younger adults may not benefit as much as older adults because they are more likely to volunteer out of obligation. (For example, they may feel they have to help out at their children's school.) Older adults are more likely to seek out purposeful volunteer roles in their communities.
But volunteering can give a sense of purpose to people of all ages.
2. Lower risk of depression.
Perhaps because of such positive feelings, giving may decrease your risk of depression and depressive symptoms such as sadness or lack of energy.
One study of older adults found that those who helped their loved ones experienced greater feelings of personal control over their lives. This feeling, in turn, decreased the likelihood that they would experience depressive symptoms.
TO READ MORE: https://www.rush.edu/news/health-benefits-giving