The Benefits of Altruism & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #127

June 18, 2019 / 48 Comments
This is not a sponsored post.

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.

Nina of Sharing a Journey

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?

Kellyann of This Blonde’s Shopping Bag

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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