Are you excited for the holiday season? We are! Whether it’s warm and sunny in your part of the world (we’re looking at you, New Zealand!) or chilly and overcast, we can all share in the joy and cheer the holidays bring. December and January—the end of one year and the beginning of the next—are a great time to reflect on the generosity of the past year and how we can bring it with us to the new year.
One way to bring 2015’s blessings to 2016 is to be generous and give of yourself—whether by volunteering your time and talents or by donating your treasure to charity. After all, care and kindness is for anyone and everyone, no matter how old you are or where you’re from! Here are 3 reasons why you should be more giving this holiday season:
1. It feels good!Clinical psychologist Dr. Andrew Berry says that volunteering and doing service work for others makes you feel good! This is because you do it because you wish to, and not out a sense of moral obligation, which can nothing whatsoever to do with actual desire. For example, not everybody likes the holiday season because you can feel morally obligated to spend time or money with family or friends. Volunteering, on the other hand, is a way to give to others on your own time in your own way at your own speed.Dr. Vythi Alagappan, a specialist in Bariatrics, notes that when you do something as satisfying as volunteering, your body produces endorphins—which boosts your mood and makes you feel good. Volunteering in groups can even increase this impact, says clinical psychologist Dr. Bernard Seif. Family medicine specialist Dr. Gerardo Guerra Bonilla adds that this kind of generosity, helping and being concerned about others, prevents you from thinking about and getting mired in your own problems.
2. It nurtures your empathy and caring skills.Empathy and caring are real skills that you won’t learn in a classroom. Clinical psychologist Dr. Arthur Ciaramicoli says empathy is like a muscle: We all have the capacity for it, but if it isn’t developed, it’s similar to not using a muscle and allowing it to atrophy. Empathy is the ability to understand and respond to the unique experiences of another. If you expand your empathy with practice, you’ll be developing one of the most important abilities for personal and professional success. As Dr. Randy Baker, a specialist in Holistic Medicine, notes, doing volunteer work allows you to help people in need—which is also excellent training if you want to be a doctor or otherwise work and succeed in a field that requires strong interpersonal skills.
3. It seriously feels good!Regardless of your beliefs, clinical psychologist Dr. Fred Gallo notes that contributing to the welfare of others is among the highest spiritual needs—and while helping others is not self-centered, you do get to feel good about yourself as a result of your actions. Dr. Steven Griggs, also a psychologist, echoes that sentiment. “Serving others is one of the surest ways to feel good,” he says. “It goes to altruism, selflessness, and genuinely aiding another human being (or animal or organization). It’s paradoxical because you benefit as much as those who serve, even though your intent is not to serve yourself. It taps into a higher cause and elevates us out of our daily struggles.”Psychiatrist Dr. Pacita David highlights that selfless actions can enhance one’s sense of purpose and connection with a community larger than oneself. It can also result in what’s called the “Mother Theresa effect,” which Dr. Bernard Seif explains as this: When we see others doing good works for others, such as Mother Theresa who worked with the sick and poor in Calcutta, it prompts others to do the same.
1. It feels good!Clinical psychologist Dr. Andrew Berry says that volunteering and doing service work for others makes you feel good! This is because you do it because you wish to, and not out a sense of moral obligation, which can nothing whatsoever to do with actual desire. For example, not everybody likes the holiday season because you can feel morally obligated to spend time or money with family or friends. Volunteering, on the other hand, is a way to give to others on your own time in your own way at your own speed.Dr. Vythi Alagappan, a specialist in Bariatrics, notes that when you do something as satisfying as volunteering, your body produces endorphins—which boosts your mood and makes you feel good. Volunteering in groups can even increase this impact, says clinical psychologist Dr. Bernard Seif. Family medicine specialist Dr. Gerardo Guerra Bonilla adds that this kind of generosity, helping and being concerned about others, prevents you from thinking about and getting mired in your own problems.
2. It nurtures your empathy and caring skills.Empathy and caring are real skills that you won’t learn in a classroom. Clinical psychologist Dr. Arthur Ciaramicoli says empathy is like a muscle: We all have the capacity for it, but if it isn’t developed, it’s similar to not using a muscle and allowing it to atrophy. Empathy is the ability to understand and respond to the unique experiences of another. If you expand your empathy with practice, you’ll be developing one of the most important abilities for personal and professional success. As Dr. Randy Baker, a specialist in Holistic Medicine, notes, doing volunteer work allows you to help people in need—which is also excellent training if you want to be a doctor or otherwise work and succeed in a field that requires strong interpersonal skills.
3. It seriously feels good!Regardless of your beliefs, clinical psychologist Dr. Fred Gallo notes that contributing to the welfare of others is among the highest spiritual needs—and while helping others is not self-centered, you do get to feel good about yourself as a result of your actions. Dr. Steven Griggs, also a psychologist, echoes that sentiment. “Serving others is one of the surest ways to feel good,” he says. “It goes to altruism, selflessness, and genuinely aiding another human being (or animal or organization). It’s paradoxical because you benefit as much as those who serve, even though your intent is not to serve yourself. It taps into a higher cause and elevates us out of our daily struggles.”Psychiatrist Dr. Pacita David highlights that selfless actions can enhance one’s sense of purpose and connection with a community larger than oneself. It can also result in what’s called the “Mother Theresa effect,” which Dr. Bernard Seif explains as this: When we see others doing good works for others, such as Mother Theresa who worked with the sick and poor in Calcutta, it prompts others to do the same.
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