Helping Others Has Health Benefits
When you help others, you help yourself. If you are feeling under the weather or a little down trodden then go out and help someone. Doing compassionate things for someone else will make you feel better and will improve your health.
When you help someone out you activate a hormone oxytocin, that relaxes you and makes you feel good. It also makes you feel more connected to others. It’s why your brain produces it when you cuddle up with your honey or breast feed your baby.
“It’s good for your health to be good.” said Stephen Post, PhD, a research worker at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Good deeds can positively improve your health and well being. You must eat your veggies and fruits but adding good deeds to your diet will work wonders. Even exercising four times a week does not result in the health benefits that volunteering regularly does.
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There are many ways you can help someone, be it an elderly neighbor, a mother with small children, or in a soup kitchen. it could be as small as having a friendly conversation with someone at the supermarket who looks lonely. Volunteering can be hard to fit into your busy schedule but you can work your way up to choosing projects you have a real interest in.
Some worthy activities are;
1.Leave a casserole on a busy or ill friend’s or neighbor’s doorstep.
2.Have a neighborhood party. Ask everyone to bring non perishable food for a food bank.
3.Clean out your closet and donate it to the Salvation army, Kidney Foundation, or Thrift Store.
Image via Wikipedia
4.Offer to pick up groceries for that mother with the small children, or the elderly lady next door.
5.Volunteer to read or write letters for hospitalized patients.
6.Visit a nursing home and visit those who receive no visitors. Offer to read or write letters for patients.
7. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen.
8. Prepare a meal for the new mother just home from the hospital.
9. Volunteer to read to a preschool or kindergarten class.
You will probably think of many more things you can do close to home. But just in case you need a little help to get you started here are some sites that you might want to check out.
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User Comments
Kate Smedley
On March 5, 2009 at 6:41 am
Excellent article, it’s the small things like this that always make the difference. Some extremely good ideas in this, thank you.
Betty Carew
On March 5, 2009 at 6:59 am
What a wonderful article Ruby very informative and well written. Giving is the easiest thing I can do for people my mom was like it and so am I . yes it does leave you with a wonderful feeling.
papaleng
On March 5, 2009 at 7:02 am
another interesting article Ruby and thanks for the tips.
Michael Degenhardt
On March 5, 2009 at 7:13 am
You are so right, we should all read this and follow its clear meaning and intention as it serves as a positive guideline for us all. Michael
S M Blomker
On March 5, 2009 at 7:26 am
very nice ideas you have written here.
JK Kristie
On March 5, 2009 at 7:52 am
Great article, giving gives me a different kind of high.
gianne
On March 5, 2009 at 7:56 am
Love this and believe it to be true. There is no medicine like caring for others. And, if you don’t feel it when you do, it may just mean you’re not doing enough of it!
Mr Ghaz
On March 5, 2009 at 8:01 am
Excellent! That was a great article. I really enjoyed reading your article. Thanks 4 sharing
Christine Ramsay
On March 5, 2009 at 8:08 am
Such a positive and uplifting article, Ruby. There are so many people who would benefit from a little help.
Christine
Mys Lyke Meeh
On March 5, 2009 at 9:30 am
Ask ur neighboor tips..hmn, now this is also to know thy neighboor and let them bring their exotic food…
Good one!
Darla Smith
On March 5, 2009 at 10:13 am
Great article! Thanks for sharing!
CA Johnson
On March 5, 2009 at 10:28 am
This is a great article, Ruby. You’re right. It does feel great to help others. Thanks for the links of how to help people.
Glynis Smy
On March 5, 2009 at 10:45 am
Good article, with great ideas.
miraj
On March 5, 2009 at 11:08 am
its article like this that gives me the inspiration to stay strong with my virtues,I consider myself lucky Ruby that you are my friend, the world needs more people like you.keep on sharing your words of encouragement with us.
Jo Oliver
On March 5, 2009 at 11:15 am
I agree with the doctor. It does make you feel so much better about yourself and I would add the world at whole when you give.
Great tips for giving. Even the busy person can make time for some of these.
Nick Kenney
On March 5, 2009 at 11:32 am
Great advice! Can’t you just imagine what a grand place the world would be if everyone read this and followed the advice?
Westbrook
On March 5, 2009 at 11:44 am
Very true Ruby. I have reached out to help many times and it was very rewarding. If you get a chance please read my “Bag Lady” and my article about the elderly dying alone. I think you would enjoy them.
Katien
On March 5, 2009 at 11:48 am
Good article. I always feel good if I have been able to help someone – I didn’t realise that there was a chemical involved!
Joni Keith
On March 5, 2009 at 12:01 pm
You have such a wonderful heart, Ruby. Thank you for reminding us of the good we do for ourselves when we do good for others. Very selfless writing.
Joe Dorish
On March 5, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Powerful medicine Ruby!
CutestPrincess
On March 5, 2009 at 1:48 pm
helping others is the key to happiness, Do Good-Feel Good, and feeling good also makes us more likely to do good.
Shirley Shuler
On March 5, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Excellent article Ruby, when you help others, it will come back to you ten fold!
Alexis Flint
On March 5, 2009 at 2:09 pm
soup kitchens are awesome places to volunteer! plus, if you’re lucky, you might be invited for a free meal afterwards.
Darlene McFarlane
On March 5, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Helping others is a great cure for what ails you. Thanks for the tips too.
I never knew that about the hormone oxytocin. As usual you have taught me something I did not know.
Thank you, Ruby.
jewelsofmine
On March 5, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Amen! I try doing this everyday. It works! Loved every word.
rutherfranc
On March 5, 2009 at 2:34 pm
so that is why I always feel good after helping somebody finish their meal! Kidding, this article is really convincing that anybody who reads it will be taken in and help in any way they can to make this world a better place..
Daisy Peasblossom
On March 5, 2009 at 4:50 pm
My pensioners mostly have four feet and fur; but what they give back can’t be measured in the cash. This is such a “comfy” article. I’d like to add that the good things you do don’t have to be spectacular. They can be simple things like carrying a trash sack when you take your daily constitutional or returning the mail that got in your box by mistake or even just giving a smile and a wave to a neighbor.
Ruby Hawk
On March 5, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Thank you everyone for your understanding response.There is something we can all do that might not seem like much to us but will mean the world to the other person. It does give us a high to know we did something good and unselfish for someone else. I believe we are becoming too much of a Me Me Me nation.
Jim
On March 5, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Can u please go to my triond content and comment/click i like it thanks http://www.gameolosophy.com/Games/Online/RuneScape/RuneScape-PVP-vs-Old-RuneScape-Wildy.572305
CHAN LEE PENG
On March 5, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Helping others will always make you feeling good.
Karen Gross
On March 5, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Great article, Ruby! One of the most helpful things that a neighbour did for me when my girls were little was to come with me when I needed to run errands. She was a bit too frail to babysit, so she would come along and just stay in the car while I “ran in” to do stuff that would take 5 minutes without kids but at least 3 times as long if I had to get 2 kids out of carseats and take them in with me.
One thing that I didn’t notice any commenters touch on is that receiving help from others is often more difficult than giving it(for me anyways). Since Parkinson’s, I have had to learn to ask for help and to receive it graciously.
Vikram Chhabra
On March 5, 2009 at 9:00 pm
This is an excellent article Ruby. We all need to do something like this to not only help others but ourselves as well!!
Eunice Tan
On March 5, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Absolutely excellent advice, Ruby.
valli
On March 5, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Excellent article with great ideas.
complexbanana
On March 6, 2009 at 12:44 am
Wonderful article with excellent advice
Anne McNew
On March 6, 2009 at 2:13 am
Its really a different feeling when you have extended your hand for others. Our simple ways could mean a lot to those people we have helped.
Anne Lyken Garner
On March 6, 2009 at 4:43 am
Great tips. I have a few articles which deal with similar things, and they’ve all done very well. Just goes to prove that human nature is not as seared as we thought it was.
Sharazad
On March 6, 2009 at 2:16 pm
I love this- helping others does make me feel good.
Moses Ingram
On March 6, 2009 at 4:41 pm
This is such a great article and so true. I always feel so good when I do something for another, it really makes my day. Right now I’m helping other seniors with their Income tax returns. When you start to feel depressed look for someone to help or just go cheer up someone else, it really works. Thanks for this.
Unofre Pili
On March 6, 2009 at 6:35 pm
I can’t agree more maam. Helping others really makes us feel good.
PR Mace
On March 7, 2009 at 5:27 pm
What a wonderful article. I could not agree with you more. I always feel better when I have helped someone. Somtimes it can be as simple as opening a door or helping a people in a wheelchair reach a item on a high shelf.
S Air
On March 7, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Lovely and positive article, thank you for this.
Ruby Hawk
On March 7, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Karen, it is hard to receive help but you are right we must accept the help offered to us gracefully and be appreciative of others efforts. None of us know when we will need help. I know every one who has the opportunity to help you is more than happy to be able to do it.
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