Health Benefits of Helping Others

As the holidays approach, many of us have a strong desire to reach out and help others.  Often, we are overcome by feelings of gratitude for the good things in our own lives and we want to make life a little easier for others.  However, did you know there are actual health benefits you receive when you help someone else?  It really does appear to be more blessed to give than receive.

Health Benefits You Receive by Helping Others

You May Live Longer - No one is quite sure why this is true, but several studies indicate that helping others increases your longevity.  In one study, reported in the Huffington Post article "19 Healthy Reasons to Help Others," 423 married couples over age 65 in Detroit were asked if they helped anyone other than each other in the previous year with tasks such as transportation, errands, shopping, housework, or childcare. The people who helped others were approximately half as likely to die over the next five years than those who didn't.

Helping Others Reduces Your Stress - When you reach out to help others, your body releases oxytocin, which lowers stress and increases your sense of trust and tranquility.  Oxytocin is also known as the compassion hormone.  It helps in cell repair, in the storage of nutrients, and in growth.  No wonder helping others helps us live longer!

Caring About Others Improves Your Immune Function - In an 1988 experiment, Harvard researchers discovered that immunoglobulin A levels increased when subjects were shown a video about Mother Teresa.  They didn't even have to actually help someone else; they just had to watch someone else helping people.  

You Will Feel Great About What You are Doing - One of the best reasons for helping others is that you simply feel good.  There are chemical reasons why we feel better, including the fact that our body releases dopamine, which soothes us, and sometimes serotonin, which is a brain chemical often used to treat depression.

Volunteering Can Help Ward off Loneliness and Depression - In fact, just helping someone else could be therapeutic for someone with mild to moderate depression.  One group which has seen this first hand is Alcoholics Anonymous.  Members who help others stay sober are less likely to be depressed themselves.  The same principal holds true in other organizations where people who suffer from a medical condition, for example, help others who suffer from the same health problem.

Helping Others Can Improve Your Physical Health -  In an article from Harvard titled "Volunteering may be Good for Body and Mind,"  they discovered that helping others can lower your blood pressure and improve your longevity.

You Can Keep it in the Family -  According to the Huffington Post article, parents who teach their children to be caring and compassionate also receive the health benefits of volunteering.  While I have no research to prove it is also true for grandparents, as well, there have been studies which have shown that grandparents who spend a few hours a week taking care of their grandchildren tend to be happier.  In other words, anytime you reach out to help others, no matter who it is, it benefits you, as well.  There is something else you should feel good about.  If you help your grandchildren be more caring and compassionate, you may be improving their lifelong health, too.

Tips for Getting the Most Benefit from Helping Others

Just a Few Hours of Volunteering is all You Need -  According to the Huffington Post article, it doesn't take a lot of time to reap the health benefits.  Just two hours of volunteering a week is enough to reap the maximum benefit.  Of course, you can do more if you want, but two hours is all you need to benefit.

Find Something You Care About - It will not benefit you if you force yourself to commit to a volunteer opportunity which you do not care about.  In other words, make sure you actually want to help this particular person or group of people and you are not doing it because you think it will improve your health.  Help people who mean something to you, either because they are related to you, they share a common health problem with you, or they are someone whose welfare you truly care about.

Do Not Overdo It - If you put so much effort into volunteering that you burn yourself out, you will lose all the health benefits.  Do what you can, but do not let yourself be talked into doing so much that you hurt yourself financially, emotionally or physically.

Realize You Cannot Solve Someone Else's Problems - Although you may begin to truly care about the people you help, you need to realize that you cannot solve all their problems.  Keep some emotional distance.  You cannot fix everything that is broken.  It is enough that you occasionally make life a litter easier for someone else.  You do not have to try to carry all their burdens.


Sources:

"19 Healthy Reasons to Help Others"

"Volunteering May be Good for Body and Mind"

If you are interested in learning more about taking care of your health as you age, where to retire, financial planning, Medicare, Social Security and more, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of helpful articles.

Watch for my book, "Retirement Awareness: 10 Steps to a Comfortable Retirement," which is scheduled to be released by Griffin Publishing in 2018.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  Photo of volunteers fighting human trafficking taken by author

Celebrating Thanksgiving Can Extend Your Life

As we approach the "Bermuda Triangle" of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve, many people approach this time of year full of fear, concern about unpleasantness, stress over financial demands, and worry about excess drinking.

However, if you approach the season with the right attitude and actions, you don't have to succumb to all this stress and worry.  Instead, you can turn this opportunity into a way to actually add years to your life.

How to Benefit from the Holidays

*  Research shows that people who have a large number of social connections tend to live longer.  Of course, if you have relatives who increase your stress, your best move is to minimize the time you spend with them and maximize the time you spend with the people you really enjoy.  While none of us can completely eliminate the time we spend with irritating people, we all have the right to pleasantly and politely avoid them as much as possible.  It is important that you do it politely, however.  Nothing can increase your stress like a family feud.  In other words, drop by the home of that busy-body aunt or alcoholic uncle for an hour or so.  Drop off a small gift or home-baked treat.  Smile a lot, make your excuses, and move on!  Don't try to change the the people who are a problem to you; instead, spend your energy increasing your social connections with the people who you care about.

*  Give what you can, but don't go into debt to do it.  Giving is as enjoyable as receiving for most people, and we would all like to give gifts to our family and friends when we can. Giving to others also seems to bolster our life expectancy.  However, there is no reason to go into debt in order to enjoy the pleasure of giving.  First, look around your home.  Do you own things that you don't want, but you think someone else would ... a pretty vase or souvenir from a trip?  Perhaps you have received a gift that just isn't right for you.  Re-gifting is perfectly appropriate, as long as you don't give it to the person who gave it to you!  Still need more gifts?  Head to the Dollar Store.  That is where you can pick up holiday coffee mugs, Christmas tree ornaments, small children's toys, bubble bath, hand cream, picture frames, vases and candy.  You can even buy cheap holiday cards and gift bags there.  For $20, you can purchase 15 or more gifts that will allow you to give something to everyone on your list.  It really is the thought that counts.  Baking cookies or making candy is also a wonderful way to give gifts that will delight your family and friends.  Want to do more?  The Tuesday after Black Friday and Cyber Monday is known as Giving Tuesday.  Make a donation to your favorite charity, even if it is just a couple of dollars.

*  Volunteer to help others.  Volunteers tend to live longer than those who don't.  Whether you have an on-going commitment at your house of worship or a local children's hospital, or you just show up when you can to help at a food bank or soup kitchen, volunteering will make you feel good about yourself.

*  Finally, let the holidays lift your spirits.  Rather that getting down on yourself about the things you cannot do, allow yourself to feel grateful and appreciative for the good things you do have in your life.  Let the holidays lift your spirits.  Sing your favorite holiday songs.  Drive around and look at the holiday lights.  Invite friends over for a sweet treat or a glass of wine.  People who are optimistic and happy tend to live longer, too.

May this be your best holiday season ever!

Use the tabs at the top of this blog to find other ways to maintain your health and increase your longevity.  The tab on Medical Concerns contains links to dozens of other helpful health articles.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  www.morguefile.com