Have you felt an immense sense of contentment when you did something for others? Seeing their happy faces raised your own mood, didn’t? That’s scientifically proven that helping others boost your own happiness. Here is how.
It Boosts your confidence.
You wouldn’t expect that doing something for others will affect your self-esteem positively, but that’s exactly what happens. Researchers have found that activities dedicated to helping others such as volunteering, lead to more confidence and self-worth.
When was the last time you invested some of your time and energy into doing something about another person, and without wanting anything back? If you do it right and for the sake of helping, you’ll see that you can reach a mental state you haven’t experienced before. It’s when you feel satisfied, like there’s nothing you would change and nothing more you’d desire. You’ll be in the moment, grateful and appreciative of the chance to help someone.
That helps you build a stronger connection with yourself and you’re more confident in your abilities.
Rebuilds your Social Life
As social beings, we need to feel like we belong, like we’re a part of a community. The social interaction aspect of our lives, however, isn’t always done the smart way. We rely on technology to keep us connected, and we might isolate ourselves due to a number of reasons. But that will make you miserable. You need to be out there, meeting and interacting with people and doing something for them. A great way to overcome the fear of rejection and improve your social life, in general, is to volunteer.
This activity, even if done for 2 hours weekly, will help you reduce loneliness too.
It’s Good for your Brain.
Did you know that, among all other benefits, helping others also improves your brain in more than one way? It’s true. Activities such as volunteering are linked to reduced stress and depression and improved brain volume.
Studies show it keeps you mentally active, boosts your memory and creative thinking and reduces the risk of cognitive decline.
It’s the right thing to do.
Ever feel like all you do is somehow not right? Always looking for the right path in life? Well, one thing you can’t go wrong with is doing good.
Whenever you help another human being, you simply know it was the single best thing you could do that day. It brings a sense of purpose like nothing else, but can’t be felt before you act upon it.
We’re creatures that need direction, but with so many distractions it’s easy to lose our path in life. To get back on it, start doing things for others. You’ll notice how this clears your mind, helps you set specific goals and have a vision for your future, makes you braver, honest and more action-oriented.
Now that you have all the evidence, there’s no need to wait longer. Go ahead and do a quick research to find a volunteering opportunity in your city. Think of small ways to do big things for those around you, be it by spending more time with them, giving them advice, being there for them when they need it, or else. And expect all the amazing benefits we just talked about to become a permanent part of your life.