24 Mar Shifting happiness from selfishness to selflessness – Tip 1
I’ll cut straight to the chase. In short, this new series is about the psychological benefits of selflessness, of giving rather than receiving.
But let me make one thing clear before I start, self-care is ESSENTIAL!
We can’t do anything if we’re sick or tired or miserable (or all three). So to do good and to be good, we need first to be good to ourselves.
Once that’s done, however, real and meaningful happiness stems more from what we do for and with others. It’s about care and compassion and connection.
And so with all that in mind, today begins a new series that I hope will prompt you to rethink your definition of happiness, and of what it takes to create deep and lasting happiness.
My first tip, then, is pretty easy to understand; and probably won’t surprise anyone if you’ve heard the old saying that “in giving we receive”.
Basically, the research supports the notion that … “giving activates the brain’s reward system, releasing feel-good chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin. This creates a “helper’s high,” leading to long-term happiness and reduced stress.”
Sounds great, right?
Yes, it is. But many people don’t “give” as much or as often as they could because of the way they think about giving. Some people define giving too narrowly, say just in financial terms, and then think that they can’t afford to be generous. Others think they can’t do enough to make a difference, because they’re too busy.
Both are reasonable and understandable concerns except that … there are MANY different ways to give (we can give money, but we can also give time and resources and expertise and care), and anything we give is better than nothing; every little bit counts. And lots of little bits add up!
So give what you can, when you can, depending on your needs. And know that if we all do this we can all make a big difference.