Want to Live a Longer and Healthier Life? Give to Others

According to the US Department of Labor, 26.5 percent of Americans volunteered in 2012. What makes someone serve food at a shelter, care for stray animals or visit nursing homes? Compassion. Human suffering is often accompanied by acts of compassion from others willing to help. Compassion is defined as the emotional response when perceiving suffering and involves an authentic desire to help. Connecting with others in a meaningful way helps us enjoy better mental and physical health and speeds up recovery from disease and it even lengthens our life spans.

The act of giving appears to be as pleasurable as the act of receiving. A brain-imaging study from the National Institutes of Health showed that the “pleasure centers” in the brain that become active when we experience pleasure like dessert, money and sex, are equally active when we observe someone giving money to charity as when we receive money ourselves. Giving to others even increases our sense of well-being above and beyond what we experience when we spend money on ourselves. Another study showed that people who spent money on others felt significantly happier than those who had spent money on themselves. Even infants who give treats to others demonstrate more happiness than in receiving treats themselves.

Compassion leads to health benefits. A life of meaning and purpose is one focused less on satisfying oneself and more on others. People who engage in volunteering live longer than those who don’t volunteer. Compassion also serves a buffer against stress because it is pleasurable. Compassion also boosts our well-being because it can help broaden our perspective beyond ourselves as opposed to depression and anxiety which cause a preoccupation with the self. Finally, compassion boosts our well-being by increasing our connection to others. One study suggested that lack of social connection is a greater detriment to health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure. On the other hand, social connection leads to a 50 percent increased chance of longevity.

Unfortunately, the opposite is true for people who experience social isolation in some studies. Low social connection has been associated with declines in physical and psychological health.

Consider volunteering to your community. It provides many benefits to both mental and physical health. It increases self-confidence, combats depression, and helps you stay physically healthy. Seek out ways to help others in ways big and small – it may give you a longer life and will help you feel good.