Giving Can Be a Win-Win Situation

The season of giving is right around the corner, and while giving is good, some of you may be doing it for selfish reasons without even knowing.

Giving is good for others but did you know that by giving you are also helping yourself too? Most of us feel good when we give, but the good feeling isn’t necessarily short term. There are many positive health outcomes for the giver and research shows that giving may actually lead to a longer life as well.

When we give, we feel happier. Serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin are some of the “feel good” hormones that rise in our brains when we give. These chemicals have the ability to not only make us feel good, but to also mediate our moods and make us feel bonded to one another. The stress relieving benefits of these alone are significant enough to improve our health, short and long term. Giving has been shown to have positive physical effects like reduced blood pressure and psychological effects such reduced depression, anxiety and increased self-esteem.

Giving can come in a variety of forms. Donating money, food and clothing are some of the more common ways of giving. If you cannot afford to donate time or household items, giving your time in the form of volunteerism is just as good. Sometimes just lending an ear to a friend in need can stimulate the positive effects of giving.

While giving should be year-round, it really ramps up in the months leading up to Christmas. Apparently, there is an official day of giving, “GivingTuesday” (November 27th of this year). This “global movement for giving and volunteering” occurs after one of the most materialistic times of the year, Black Friday. Maybe it’s time to be selfish and start giving more. Find a cause, clean out the closet or just say yes to adding 2 dollars to your grocery bill at the checkout line. Giving does not have to break the bank, as even a little benevolence can go a long way to improving your own health.