The Benefits of Altruism & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #127
Did you know that practicing altruism benefits the giver as much as it does the receiver? Maybe even more. Caring about other people and acting in the interest of others with no expectation of reciprocity fulfills and energizes us in a unique way that no other behavior really can accomplish. While it is proven that exercise releases dopamine which helps to improve our moods and make us feel happier, the act of giving and helping others unconditionally also releases endorphins that activate the part of the brain associated with trust, happiness, and social connection.
When you perform a good deed for someone else, it really does make you happier. This in turn creates the desire to do more for others because you want to feel that happiness again. Being altruistic essentially creates a loop of generosity because the feedback from the behavior is always positive. Even if there is a case of a beneficiary of your altruism who may not be appreciative, it is the act of giving or doing without expectation of anything in return that causes the good feelings. And you want to do it again. Sort of like a drug, those endorphins make you feel great so you keep doing whatever it takes to continue the release of this positive energy.
Studies done in the mental health field have found evidence that shows helping others is beneficial to your own mental well being. Being altruistic promotes positive psychological changes in the brain. It creates a sense of community and belonging and reduces feelings of isolation. Altruistic behaviors also help us to regain a better sense of perspective on our own lives while helping to reduce negative thoughts and feelings. Because helping behaviors release endorphins, being altruistic can also reduce stress, decrease pain, and improve our overall physical health. All of these benefits combined from the simple act of helping others has also been shown to help us live longer and more fulfilled lives.
Obviously, there are countless ways in which we can reach out to those in need and give a helping hand. Altruism comes in so many forms. Many people get caught in the thinking that helping others requires financial assistance. Sure, this is absolutely true. Sometimes sparing just a little of what you have goes a long way to help others. But there are a multitude of other ways to practice altruism. Volunteer opportunities exist everywhere. Whether they are organized through a community group or simply volunteering to help someone personally in need on your own, it is easy to find opportunities to give and help.
You can help elderly members of your family or your community with daily activities that may have become too difficult to handle on their own. You can volunteer your time for various activities at local schools, churches, senior centers, hospitals, or other community groups. You can coach a local youth sports team or tutor a struggling student. Things as simple as babysitting for a overwhelmed mom for a few hours so she can just take a nap in a quiet house or delivering food to a sick friend are easy to do but help so much. Be as creative as you’d like when deciding how you can help others. The benefits are so worth it no matter how big or small the gesture may be.
All that being said, I want to quickly share with you an initiative that my SmartChicks group is currently working on. SmartChicks is a group of women empowering other women in all sorts of ways…and having fun doing it!
We recently got together and shared some ideas on how we can reach out into our own community and give back to help women in need. The brilliant and caring ladies of this group ended up with a really long list of ways that we could help within our own community. So we had to decide on one initiative and we chose Operation Mommy Bundles. Currently, this project is focused on our community in Watertown, New York. But eventually, we would love to grow our SmartChicks group well beyond the northern New York region. So if you are interested in joining us in any way to grow our community of women giving back to women, please read the details below. You can also join the SmartChicks Facebook group if you would like to be a part of this awesome community!
If you have any questions at all about this group or ways that you can help, please let me know in the comments. If you know of anyone whom could benefit from a group like this, please spread the word. As the SmartChicks motto goes, “One woman can make a difference, but together we can rock the world!”
And now your featured favorites from last week.
Nina of Sharing a Journey shared her post, How to Be the Ideal Wedding Guest and Live to Tell of It. Proper wedding etiquette can often be quite difficult to discern these days and Nina has offered so much helpful advice in this post! Perfect timing for wedding season.
Kellyann of This Blonde’s Shopping Bag shared her post, Six Ways to Style a Summer Skirt. So many great options for one skirt! And who doesn’t love a versatile wardrobe piece that can do so much?
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.
48 Comments
Kellyann Rohr
Altruism is really amazing and I so agree – it really feels good to know you helped someone and did your part to lighten their load. This group, Smart Chicks, sounds so fabulous and what a great mission! Love the idea and we can all use more of that – feeling good about putting good out in the world – there’s just so much negativity today and it spreads so quickly with social media.
Thanks for the shout out, I appreciate it my friend!
xo,
Kellyann
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Kellyann, thank you so much! Even just the smallest gesture goes a long way! We definitely need more of this in the world, for sure. I love my Smart Chicks group! I always feel so energized after spending time with them. I hope your week is off to a great start.
xoxo
Shelbee
Tamar Strauss-Benjamin
I totally agree – helping others gives such a good feeling that tickles down to others and on and on!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Tamar! It does create a loop of kindness and positive energy!
xoxo
Shelbee
Kathrine Eldridge
What a wonderful group you are a part of and love what you are supporting! Your floral dress is lovely and thanks so much for the link up!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Kathrine! It is an amazing group of empowering women! Feel free to join the Facebook group if you’d like to learn more and be part of it. No obligations whatsoever!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jill
Helping others is always rewarding and such a good feeling! I love the mission of Smart Chicks and Operation Mommy Bundles is such a great idea to help new mom’s! Also loving your maxi dress and red booties! Such a pretty look!
Jill – Doused in Pink
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jill! We are super excited to be able to help those in need in our community. We are hoping to expand our group outside of our area, too!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lanae Bond
It is a good feeling to help others. I think seeing someone else happy because of something I did, is an awesome feeling.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Lanae, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on the topic! And it really is an awesome feeling to brighten someone else’s day! Thanks for doing your part!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jean | Delightful Repast
Shelbee, sounds like a wonderful way to #SpreadTheKindness! I’m not sure that this link party is a good fit for me; I’m a food blogger and interested in clothes, but fashion bloggers don’t seem to be interested in food. Though I’ll continue to visit your blog, I may not continue to take time to participate in the link party. Wishing you all the best with the SmarkChicks. If they all have just a fraction of your enthusiasm, the group will move mountains!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Jean, thanks so much! My link party is not just for fashion bloggers though! I like the variety of posts from food to books to life to fashion. I am so sorry that it hasn’t been driving much traffic your way…I feel like that may be the future of link parties, unfortunately. But I appreciate your visits and your sharing until this point. And I understand the time commitment to adding links, so I totally feel you! Keep shining bright and sharing your wonderful posts with the world though!
xoxo
Shelbee
jodie filogomo
What a great way to help out others. I joined the FB group, and can’t wait to hear more. It is addicting yet it’s much better than drugs!!
XOXO
Jodie
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
So true, Jodie! It is addicting. That rush of good feels goes a long way and creates a loop of goodness! I am so glad that you joined the group! We are lucky to have you.
xoxo
Shelbee
Deborah Stinedurf
So spot on my friend. Helping others, even if it’s simply a small gesture, definitely feels good to the soul.
Debbie
http://www.fashionfairydust.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Debbie, thanks so much! We don’t even realize how much we can impact someone else’s life either by offering one small gesture of kindness. It is pure goodness all around! Shine bright, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
So very true. It keeps your spirit going and hopefully it will make someone else’s day. Someone who is really down in the dumps, hopefully it lifts them up. Thanks for all the knowledge. Looking great.
Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Patrick, thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on the topic. One small gesture of kindness really does go a long way. And we all too often don’t even realize what impact we can have on people’s lives…just by being kind. Keep shining bright, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Grace Liang ULS
I can agree with what you said. It sure is rewarding and feels good to help others out.
Please stop by at http://www.colorandgrace.com every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for linkup parties! Hope to see you there!
Grace Liang
http://www.colorandgrace.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Grace, thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on the topic! I hope your week is going well. Keep shining bright, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lauren sparks
Great thoughts to accompany your beautiful pics today. laurensparks.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Lauren! Keep shining your light!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lizzie
I love this whole outfit on you! You styled it so perfectly!
Lizzie
http://www.lizzieinlace.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Lizzie! I wore this outfit and didn’t photograph it, but I liked it so much that I put it back on a few days later to take pictures.
xoxo
Shelbee
Catherine, Not Dressed As Lamb
Shelbee I know it’s my first time linking up – I’ve managed to reshuffle my workload (and somehow keep on top of it for a while now) so that I have more spare time for things like link ups… I hope I manage to keep it up!
Your post is SO wonderful – I couldn’t agree more about the benefits of helping others. Your SmartChicks group sounds absolutely amazing!! You’re someone who really does give me so much support, I hope I can give just a little of it back. Think I’ll be adding this to my monthly Best of the Blogosphere post this month 😀
Catherine x
P.S. and thank you for hosting, hope to be back x
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Catherine, thank you so very much for this lovely comment! I totally understand how life can get so crazy and it becomes insanely difficult to get ahead of the workload. I am struggling so much lately to keep ahead of the game. I go back and forth between wondering how I do it all and why I can’t get it all done! But we just do our best and that’s all we can do. Thank you for all of your support the past few years that I have been blogging. It means the world to me! Can’t wait to read your next Best of the Blogosphere post. Keep shining bright, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
I always think that when I’m having a bad day, that going out of my way to make others happy is a sure way to make myself feel better! So true! I love this dress and those bright red boots with it!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Carrie! I totally agree that helping someone else when you are having a bad day is a sure way to change your day around. It works every time! Keep shining bright, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Lovely subject for your post, Shelbee. In addition to the things you’ve mentioned, some psychologists recommend volunteering as an antidote for mild depression (not to be confused with clinical depression). I am currently crocheting a baby afghan that will be donated to Project Linus – and it is the subject of the post I linked.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Michelle! I think volunteering is a fantastic way to battle mild depression. Just getting out there and being social and helping always boosts one’s mood. I will definitely be over to read your post and check out Project Linus! Thanks for sharing.
xoxo
Shelbee
Darlene
Shelbee, it is so true that helping others is good for the giver. It feels great and is really what makes us human. Your SmartChicks group sounds like an amazing group of ladies! Oh, and your outfit is adorable on you!! Love those orange booties. You have the coolest collection of booties, my friend!!
xx Darlene
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Darlene! They are a fabulous group of women! I am meeting them for coffee this morning. I always look forward to it. The energy is contagious! Oh, and my boot collection, haha. It just keeps growing. I can’t seem to get enough. I recently asked a friend, “How many shoes does one woman need?” And his response was brilliant, “As many as she wants.” I might love that man! Lol.
xoxo
Shelbee
Laura
What a wonderful post and it’s so nice to see an uplifting read that’s for sure. Kindness and love is the best way to go about life, love really does overrule.
Laura xo
http://www.shehearts.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Laura, thanks so much! I try to inject as much as love and kindness into the world through my blog…I am so glad that my work is appreciated! Keep shining bright!
xoxo
Shelbee
Shugunna Alexander
Love your post on giving without expecting in return, the gift of truly doing something from the heart; its what I strive for. Love your boots too
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Shugunna, thanks so much for stopping by today! It is also what I strive for…there is so much unkindness in the world, so we have to make extra efforts to counteract it! Keep shining your light, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Laura
You are right on so many levels! I love trying to do good for others. It gives me such a warm and fuzzy feeling!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Laura, thanks so much for stopping by today! It really is such a great feeling, right?! I hope you are having a wonderful week.
xoxo
Shelbee
Jessica A Jannenga
That dress is darling! I lvoe the print and that you wear those red booties.. you can’t help but love red, any kind of shoe! I do think helping others is so needed in this day and age! Our society is one of me, me me, not to sound cynical, but people need to get out of their own bubble sometimes and think of others. Nice post!!
thanks for linking!
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jess! You know I love my statement shoes and I can’t seem to get enough! I agree completely…we all can get stuck in our “me” bubbles sometimes but it is so important to reach outside of them and help others!
xoxo
Shelbee
Cheryl Shops
An old (wise) friend of mine always says, when you’re feeling helpless, help someone else. It really does make you feel better! And on a completely unrelated note, I love your red boots!
Cheryl Shops | http://www.cherylshops.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Cheryl! I agree with your old wise friend…it really does work to make you feel better! I hope you are having a great week.
xoxo
Shelbee
Carrie
Truth is – It’s better to give than receive. So many reasons why this is true and you just remind me of that truth. You are looking super cute in this dress by the way!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Carrie, thanks so much for sharing your perspective. It definitely makes me feel better to give than it does to receive. Sometimes receiving can feel a bit uncomfortable, but I am also learning to graciously accept things and gestures when others give to me.
xoxo
Shelbee
Linda Cassidy
your posts are always so thought provoking. Also love the outfit
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Linda! I do try to keep things interesting…sometimes I fail though!
xoxo
Shelbee
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