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Mental Health Benefits of Altruism

Altruism means caring others and being non-selfish to others. People who are altruistic want to assist, not because they feel obliged to do so, but because they truly want to improve the lives of people around them. Sometimes motivated by altruism individuals, take the risk of helping others, without worrying about the consequences. Giving back not only benefits people but also enhances your quality of life. A recent study has shown that those who show affection, love and care to others are more mentally well-being than those who receive assistance from others. There is evidence that suggests giving back to others in a charitable manner can trigger physical modifications in our brains that are associated with happiness which can help us live more cheerfully. Take help from an Online Counselor at TalktoAngel regarding the benefits of Altruism.

Helping others and volunteering with altruism can help us create new connections and make friends with your community. Altruism helps alleviate loneliness, help overcome moments of weakness, and make friends with other people. Therefore, altruism provides positive mental wellbeing benefits which assist in countering those negative consequences of stress on your life. Most people don’t realize that altruism can affect their perspective about life, transforming how people view life. Helping others, especially the less fortunate, may help to create positive outlooks. There is some evidence to suggest that awareness of one’s own acts of kindness and being grateful for help will increase feelings of happiness and optimism. It can also increase feelings of contentment, happiness, and joy. Altruistic acts are able to bring happiness to the world environment. People who give back to aid others will increase their self-confidence, believe in their worthiness and lead an enriched life. The altruism of a person can inspire others to perform things of compassion, creating a more positive community.

Altruism and Mental Health

Here are a few ways that altruism could improve your mood and help you become more relaxed, healthier and less stressed.

  • Makes you feel more thankful for the things you are blessed with: It’s not uncommon to have people experience the “grass is greener” feeling occasionally. But, since many good deeds are performed for people experiencing a tough time this can help to remind people that their lives are pretty decent. Sometimes, seeing what’s happening on “the other side of the fence” could make you feel grateful for the things you’re blessed with.
  • The feeling of being satisfied: Just the fact that you’re giving back does not mean you shouldn’t or shouldn’t be happy about it. You’re making a positive impact on the life of another person and this ought to make you feel happy. There’s no reason for you to ignore this feeling, or guilt about it. Imagine it as an opportunity to earn.
  • It distracts you from the problems that plague you: Concentrating on something other than yourself can pull back from the anxieties and the issues you face. Studies have shown that when patients who suffer from medical conditions (e.g. chronic pain, cancer) “counsel” other patients suffering from similar conditions and the “counselors” often experience less anxiety, depression and even disability.
  • Lets you feel endorphins: The positive energy that comes from doing something good can be felt on your body the same way as exercise releases endorphins that help you feel great naturally. This is the reason you feel the “rush” that good deed-doers may experience following the act of charity is called the “helper’s high.”
  • Improves your physical health: The research has shown that helping others not only boost your mental health, but can also boost your physical health. Studies have shown that those who volunteer are more likely to have longer lives and are healthier than those who do not volunteer. 
  • More Social Support 

The research also shows how what is shared will eventually come back around. Those who commit selfless sacrifices for their own good in the end, they reap what they put into by way of kindness received from other people. People who do this earn the status as being generous and will get favours from those might not even directly assisted. The social and personal favours that you earn through altruism and the satisfaction you feel by helping other people, are more than enough to cover the cost of the sacrifices you have made for altruism.

However, there’s one caveat to this. There are some who do not benefit from altruism. For instance, those already feeling overwhelmed with numerous things to handle and adding on more, even if the intentions are positive, it’s not likely to be a good idea. This is especially true for those who suffer from issues with time management. 

Additionally, for person who are inclined to assist those in need, it often is the case that the devastation of the situations they encounter can have a more negative effect than it does on the person helping. A lot of this has to do with the individual personality However, a good general rule of thumb for all is to keep everything in check. Try to assist others however, be sure that you don’t do too much and turn out you are the one who is in need of help at the end. The risk of burnout among volunteers and people who work in helping professions is a common occurrence. 

Take help from online therapist India, and become aware about the signs of burning out and fatigue from compassion. Online therapy from a mental health professional can help and assist you in taking good care of your physical and mental health prior to taking care of other people. Feel free to consult the best Online Counselor at TalktoAngel, who will give you the best counseling on Altruism.

What do you think?

Written by CHT Staff Writer

CHT (Chanuhacktricks) is an independent online publication that is a voice to the world of technology and marketing. Every month we reach over 10 million passionate technology enthusiasts who rely on us for news, reviews, features & product recommendations, etc.

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