Why does helping others and doing good deeds make us happy? If you're looking for a clear answer to this question and want to know more about the psychology behind it, you've come to the right place! In today's society, where many people often think and act selfishly, we tend to forget how important it is for our own well-being to be helpful.₁
In this article, I would like to show you convincing reasons why it feels so good to help others and work for the good in the world. Feel free to use them as an incentive to make a positive impact on the world around you every day. Let's go!
1. Fulfillment through the feeling of being needed
The valuable feeling of belonging and the knowledge of doing something meaningful and being needed, releases happiness hormones.
Of course, the feelings of happiness increase immeasurably, especially when the good deed is done and we can see the Joy and appreciation of other people or even animals. For example, in the form of hugs, a grateful smile or other recognition of joy.
2. Problems solved and challenges mastered
We support others primarily when they have encountered minor or major problems and need our help. Having solved problems and mastered challenges creates, quite fundamentally, a wonderful Sense of pride, self-efficacy and satisfaction. In combination with the knowledge of doing it for other people, it therefore fills us especially with feelings of happiness.
3. Increased self-esteem
Good deeds make us happy - and they also boost our self-esteem. It is above all the Appreciation and the gratitudethat we receive, as well as the Confirmationthat we are able to solve problems and help other people. The more often we act altruistically and show our willingness to help, the more become more confident we finally.
4. Improved interpersonal relationships
By demonstrating empathy and helping others Help people, we foster our relationships with them. The helpfulness creates trust, security, strengthens friendships, increases the sense of community and gives us the security of being able to get help ourselves when we need it.
5. Directly tangible contribution to a more positive world
Every good deed we do makes the world a little bit better and at least ourselves - but from experience also other people - happier. It is above all the directly perceptible positive influence that generates the pleasant feeling of contentment and happiness, because we know that we have made a real difference for someone or for the environment. have inspired other people.
6. Automatic stress reduction through positive emotions
Giving help to others, instead of always taking it yourself, generates positive emotions such as joy, gratitude and love, which can enhance the Reduce stress level and improve our general well-being. The unique feeling of happiness unfolds a calming effect on body and mind, lowers blood pressure₂ and ultimately lets us significantly live longer and grow old healthily.
Good to know: High blood pressure is among the leading causes of cardiovascular disease. How you Prevent heart disease in other ways I'll explain how you can do this in the linked blog article.
7. Better cohesion in the community
The mutual help and support strengthens the bonds in our community. The growing sense of Belonging and cohesion (for example, in the neighborhood), is what ultimately makes us happy, strengthens friendships and gives us the security to overcome further challenges and also crises together.
It is also the joint commitment to a common, positive goal, which provides joy in a community.
8. New vitality and greater optimism
To help Makes us happy, invigorates us and gives us new energy. Good deeds draw our attention away from everyday worries and allow us to have a fresh, more positive, more optimistic perspective on life.
The unique Reward feeling through the gratitude and appreciation of others, provides a mental boost. Finally, this wonderful feeling can even become addictive - so much so that many people are not only willing to help more often in their private lives, but also take a professional path where they can help others on a daily basis, because in this they find their have recognized personal meaning and purpose of life.
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9. Building a positive karma
Good deeds make you happy - and earn you valuable karma points 🙂 Karma is a Buddhist principleEvery good or bad action will eventually lead to a corresponding consequence. Like myself, many other people are guided by this belief in everyday life.
Being kind, compassionate and helpful are some of many positive character traits, which promote good karma and make us humans believe that sooner or later we will be rewarded for our good actions without asking for anything directly in return.
Tip: How else you can use your Improve karma I'll explain how you can do this in a separate blog post. Feel free to take a look!
10. Increased gratitude for what one has oneself
By helping those who are less fortunate in life, we will be able to inevitably reminded of what we ourselves can be truly grateful for. And so it happens that the support of other people not only helps them, but also helps you to look at your own life much more positively and be truly grateful.
Helpfulness and good deeds make for lasting happiness!
Why does it feel so good to help others? Among other things, because we feel appreciation and gratitude and this triggers real feelings of happiness in us. Here you have now learned about these and many other important reasons. Try to internalize them little by little so that you will always be motivated to help others and work for the good of the world.
"Good things that a person gives out into the world are never lost."
Albert Schweitzer (more at Helpfulness Quotes)
Finally, I would like to give you a few ideas for good deeds in everyday life that you can implement directly:
- Go regularly to donate blood, to save other people's lives.
- Live and eat vegan, to stop paying money for animal suffering.
- Help your elderly neighbors with the gardening or with the shopping.
- Work on a voluntary basis in animal welfare or as a volunteer:r at the food bank.
- Stand up in the streetcar, if someone needs a seat.
- …
I sincerely hope that the reasons why helping makes you happy helped you along and that you were able to take away some inspiration for your own life. Do you have any questions, suggestions or further thoughts on why being helpful makes you happy? Then I look forward to your comment.
Stay helpful,
PS: Whether it's a dog, cat, cow or chicken, I'm committed to protecting all animals. Like you Help animals in your everyday life you can find out now in the next blog post. Have fun!
References:
₁ L. Rowland, O.S. Curry (2019): A range of kindness activities boost happiness, available at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29702043 [14.06.2023].
₂ K. Rossger, G. Charpin-El Hamri, M. Fussenegger (2013): Reward-based hypertension control by a synthetic brain-dopamine interface. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1312414110.
