You Recieve More When You Give
You don’t have to reserve giving for the holidays which are the darkest time of the year. You can bring a glow to somebody any time of the year and it’s not just bringing benefit to them.
Science now shows that there is truth in the Biblical wisdom that, “In giving we receive.”
Generosity lifts our spirits, increases our social bonds, and improves our health. It can also make us happy just to give something to someone, and this is the main tenant to the Pay It Forward movement.
Here are some of the ways in which giving is good for you, and you can receive more when you give, according to the experts:
Giving To A Friend
Let’s suppose you help a friend in need: Giving to a friend can help deepen the bond between you, which will help you and your own need for friendship and connection. You will feel better about yourself for having given of yourself.
Experts have found that as feelings of social connectedness increase, so does your self-esteem. Researcher John Cacioppo writes in his book Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection, “The more extensive the reciprocal altruism born of social connection . . . the greater the advance toward health, wealth, and happiness.”
Volunteering
This can go for volunteering as well. Helping a charitable organization or cause can allow you to forge positive connections with others and build up a circle of community. We are social beings and being connected to others in a meaningful way gives us a greater sense of belonging, in our fragmented, contemporary world.
Giving out positive “vibes” to others inspires them to feel more inclined to do the same, creating a kind of ripple effect, according to one study by the National Institute of Health.
Kindness is contagious, concludes one study by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Cambridge and the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom Volunteering can also help lower your stress and promote a sense of inner calm. It brings you a sense of accomplishment, meaning, and fulfillment.
Putting Things Into Perspective
As you work with others who are suffering hardship, your own life will come into perspective and you will feel better about your life. This will lift your spirits and help you to appreciate the blessings you do have in your own life.
As you develop more feelings of gratitude, you will lift your own spirits and start to experience more positive emotions such as happiness. Research finds that being grateful is key in being happy, healthy and creating social bonds.
Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough (Research Project on Gratitude and Thankfulness) found that “counting their blessings” improved quality of life in study subjects.
A recent study conducted at Florida State University (Nathaniel Lambert) determined that expressing gratitude to spouses, partners, and close friends created stronger bonds and connections.
Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson says that cultivating gratitude on a daily basis is one of the keys to increasing personal happiness.
One study from Harvard found that giving money was actually more gratifying and brought happiness more than spending it on yourself.
Scientists believe that altruistic behavior releases endorphins in the brain, producing the positive feeling known as the “helper’s high.”
Giving Is Good For Your Health
Experts tell us that generosity is linked to better health, as studies have shown improved health in HIV patients, those with chronic illness and MS.
It is certainly rewarding and makes us feel good on an emotional level.
It is the cornerstone of 12-step programs, where participants maintain recovery by giving back to newcomers and helping them to recover.