5 Benefits Helping Others Can Have On Your Mental Health And Overall Outlook On Life
There are a lot of studies that have been done evaluating the correlation between helping others and mental health/wellbeing. A lot of studies find that giving back to your community and helping those around you have a major positive impact on your wellness.
Helping others can be anything from volunteering in your community, to donating goods, to supporting local people and businesses, to even just showing kindness and compassion more often. There are so many ways to help others and give back. Doing so will greatly benefit you mentally, emotionally, and even physically.
Let’s look at some of those benefits:
Sense of belonging:
Helping others gives people a sense of belonging. Loneliness is a real epidemic and people tend to isolate themselves more and more as they experience it. Going out and helping others not only encourages social interaction you may not otherwise be getting, but it also gives you a community of like-minded people. The people you surround yourself with when helping others are most-likely people that have similar passions and interests as you. As humans, we all want to find our “tribe” and feel like we are part of something bigger than ourselves.
Sense of purpose and meaning:
Helping others makes you feel like your life is more meaningful. When you see the impacts of your kindness and giving back, it shows that even small acts can go a long way in someone else’s life. A lot of adults struggle with a lack of purpose and fulfillment. Spending time helping others gives you that sense of fulfillment. Because what you do to improve the lives of others, can change a lot.
Increased happiness:
When you help others, you probably recall feeling a sense of pleasure. You may get an instant mood boost that increases your overall happiness. Helping others releases endorphins in your brain which literally makes you happier. Social connection that can come from helping others is also something that increases happiness. It’s important to interact with others on a regular basis and feel that human connection.
New perspective:
Seeing the impact that your actions can have on others can put things in perspective - especially if you feel like you’ve been trapped in your own bubble. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in what we don’t have, what we need to do next, and all of the negative aspects of life. It can be hard to break ourselves out of that mindset. But, going out and helping others can give you a new outlook and make you feel grateful for what you already have. That’s not to say you can’t want more in life, but it’s also important to recognize that there’s still so much to be grateful for.
Boosts self-esteem:
Helping others can give you an increase in your confidence. When you see the impact that you can have on someone else, you feel better about yourself. You may gain a sense of self-value and self-worth when helping and giving back to others. You also might find a sense of competence when contributing, which increases your self-esteem.
Your positive contributions can really go a long way - not just in the lives of others but also in your own life. There are endless benefits mentally and emotionally from giving back and helping others. But, all of these mental and emotional benefits contribute to a decrease in stress in your life which, in turn, can actually cause physical benefits. So show others kindness and make time to give back. It will greatly change your perspective and quality of life.
