When you think about the things that make you happy, you might think about taking a vacation on a beach somewhere or getting presents from your significant other. However, you might not think right away about helping others to make yourself happy. And this is a pity because it’s completely true that helping out others by donating your money or time actually does make you happier. Keep reading down below to learn some more.
- Helping others gives you a sense of purpose
Most of us spend our whole lives trying to find our purpose while we’re here on Earth. This is a big question for everyone out there. What are you meant to do while you’re here? Well, volunteering could help you achieve that sense of purpose. When you volunteer your time at a local organization and help people, you are going to be giving back to the community and finding your meaning in life.
- It makes you confident in yourself
While this one shouldn’t be your primary motivation, you can still gain a lot of self-confidence when you start volunteering and see what you can achieve when you put your mind to it. And when you’re more self-confident, you are going to be much more happy.
- It’s good for your brain and body
When you volunteer and help other people, you are going to be flooding your brain with positive chemicals that influence every single cell of your body. That means that both your brain and your body are going to be much healthier when you do things like helping others. Whether you start volunteering for a family-building organization or a homeless shelter, this is going to stay true.
- You start to become part of a larger community
One of the best parts of helping other people is the fact that you will start to become part of a larger community. And it’s been shown that those people who have a tight network of close friends and family members in a community are more likely to be happy than those who do not. If you are feeling lonely, then volunteering is a great place to start to meet other people and engage with the community.
- Your stress levels will go down
If you are feeling extra stressed lately, then volunteering might be the best option for you. It may seem contradictory that spending more time doing something else is going to help your stress levels, but that’s exactly it! You are going to see your stress levels dramatically decrease when volunteering, as shown by numerous scientific studies.
- There’s a physical effect, too
And it’s not just all in your head! When you volunteer, many people actually report having lower blood pressure. That extra stress that’s lifted away also helps to lower your risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke.
- Giving is better for your brain than receiving
And science backs all of this up as well. It’s been shown in numerous studies that when you give, rather than receive, your brain shows much more positive activity.
- You can see the results of your assistance
When you volunteer, you are going to be seeing the results of your assistance right away. You can speak with people, hear about their situations, and see what you can do to help them out. And this is going to make you feel super happy!
- You can get other people involved
Another great reason why you should volunteer is because you will be able to get other people involved, as well. When you volunteer with your friends and family members, you will be able to both spend more quality time with them and help out the community – both things that will make you super happy!
- You’ll smile more
And of course, when you’re volunteering and helping out others, you’re going to smile more and put the smile on other people’s faces.
And there you have it! When you are thinking about things that are going to make you feel happy, then volunteering is the way to go! Not only are you going to be more happy, but the people you are assisting are going to be, as well.
