How can the act of GIVING improve wellbeing?

What do you do when you are having a bad day? Buy yourself a nice coffee? Decide to treat yourself something you’ve been wanting for a long time? Many of us think that when we are feeling down, doing something nice for ourselves is the best way to feel better. But what if what we think is true is wrong? On this page, we explore how altruism doesn’t only benefit the receiver …

• Evidence shows giving to others is better for our wellbeing
• Examples of volunteering activities
• How to start your giving journey
• Counting acts of kindness

Evidence shows giving to others is better for our wellbeing

In her course, The Science of Wellbeing, Dr Laurie Santos of Yale University explains that one of the most powerful ways to make ourselves feel better is by doing something nice for someone else. So, the next time you’re feeling low, instead of buying yourself a coffee, how about buying a coffee for someone else? In their 2008 study, Elizabeth Dunn, a social psychologist at University of British Colombia, and colleagues found that people who spend even a small amount of their money on others feel significantly happier than those who don’t. What is especially interesting is that they also found that people are not very good at predicting what will make them happiest. We assume that spending money on ourselves will bring the greatest gains in terms of happiness, when in fact spending money on someone else brings greater happiness.

Dr David Hamilton, an organic chemist with an interest in the placebo effect and the science of kindness, says that many scientific studies find that people who volunteer for charities and other organisations are more resistant to depression. This doesn’t mean that people who volunteer can’t feel depressed, but simply that they are less likely to. You could see it as volunteering, giving, and doing something kind results in more resilience and some resistance to depression. There could be a couple of reasons for this – firstly, simply that the act of giving is good for us and makes us feel good. Secondly, that volunteering can help us to feel a part of something larger than ourselves; part of a greater whole with a purpose. This can help us to feel connected to others we are helping and to others who are also volunteering, and we know that feeling connected to others plays a role in mental health.

Examples of volunteering activities

Seeing yourself and your happiness as linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with people around you. The Building resilient communities report lists some volunteering activities that proved most beneficial in terms of increasing wellbeing. Here’s a selection from the list:

• peer support, including self-help groups, peer-led education and advice
• organising and/or participating in environmental projects
• volunteering in health settings, particularly when involved in the direct care and education of patients
• mentoring and teaching programmes
• social support of older people
• providing palliative/hospice care
• organising community activities
• volunteering within a religious community.