“Living to give should be a motto used in everybody’s daily life. Giving has been proven to improve mental health and physical health.“  -John Hopkins Medical Center

At GIVETOLIVE, we believe in the power of Giving Back….and NEVER giving up!

Helping others will not just make us feel good about ourselves, but it can also increase our physical well being. Our minds and bodies are connected; anything that elevates our spirits will also have a beneficial effect on our health.

Helping others will not just make us feel good about ourselves, but it can also increase our physical well being. Our minds and bodies are connected; anything that elevates our spirits will also have a beneficial effect on our health.

Helpers High

The Helpers High can be seen in the fictional character Ebenezer Scrooge. He was a narcissistic old man who could not find happiness in his world, until the three ghosts visited him. They persuaded him to help others. After his good deeds a Helpers High overcame him; his spirit is reborn and he is running around as if he is the happiest man on the planet.

The feeling that he got is not just fictional; it is called the Helpers High. The term was introduced by Allan Luks; a leader in the non profit world. The Helpers High is a euphoric feeling, followed by a longer period of calm. Experienced after performing a kind act. The physical sensation results from the release of endorphins, and is followed by a longer-lasting period of improved emotional well being and sense of self-worth. Feelings that in turn reduce stress and benefit the helper in many different ways.

Health Benefits of Giving

A study by Cornell University has found that volunteering increases a person’s energy, sense of mastery over life, and self-esteem. These positive emotions release endorphins into the bloodstream; endorphins are the body’s natural tranquilizers and they help relax the heart. Positive emotions also increase the bodies T-cells which help the body resist disease and recover quickly from illness.

Michigan researchers have discovered that individuals with a history of heart conditions experience a reduction in chest pain and lower cholesterol after volunteering. Michigan researchers also conducted a study that found that men who partake in volunteer work have death rates two and one half times lower than those who did not volunteer. This is remarkable! People that volunteer actually live longer!

The University of Texas has found that volunteering immediately lowers depression for those over age 65, and over time lowers depression in all age groups.

A study in Ontario has revealed that volunteering reduces social isolation, anxiety, and blood pressure.

The studies go on and on, it is clear that giving works wonders for our health.

Physical benefits of giving

There are physical benefits resulting from giving to charity. Two separate studies have found that donating to charity can bring a number of benefits for the giver.

Research conducted at Harvard University, and published in the journal of Social Psychology and Personality Science; found that volunteers who donated to charity performed better when completing physical tasks.

Volunteers were given a dollar and told to keep it or donate it to charity. Once they had made their choice, they were asked to hold a weight for as long as they could. Those who donated were able to hold the weight for an average of almost ten-seconds longer than those who kept the money for themselves.

The book “The Healing Power of Doing Good” by Luks and Payne provides statistics to show that giving creates a more optimistic outlook, decreases insomnia, and provides better weight control. Unbelievable!

In life or death situations altruism has shown that it can help people survive. Focusing on others can give you a place to stand when the world around you is falling apart.
Financial benefits of giving

Writer Anne Lamott gives a new spin on giving away money. She proves how generosity alleviates fear. As a single mother living off her writing, she has not been able to have the financial security that all of us dream of. There were times when she was living off the generosity of friends, and that is when she realized the solution. If you have any fear of money the solution is to give. Find a cause in which you believe and donate your money to them. By giving money away you will feel like you have an abundant amount and will no longer be scared of it.

If you hold on to your money you will just become more afraid and get caught in the cycle of clinging to it. As you hold on to your money you must think when is enough enough? There is truly no set amount of money that a person will admit is enough. A recent study showed that no matter how much money people made, they thought they would be happier if they made more. It didn’t matter if they made $20,00 a year or $200,000 a year; everyone thought that they needed more. There is a very small correlation between wealth and happiness–accounting for about 1% of the happiness reported by people answering surveys. So in our lives we must decided how much a number on a piece of paper matters to us. The best thing to do is to give because rather then being a number you can turn it into a smile, or even better a saved life, and that is something you can’t put a dollar amount on.

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