Giving doesn’t only help those who are the recipients of the “gift”, it also benefits the giver in many ways. There have been many studies done on the many benefits of being a giver, these studies have found that giving is good for our health, our relationships, and our community.
Giving is good for our health. Research has shown that giving can have a positive impact in our health. Some of the health benefits of giving include lower blood pressure, increased self-esteem, less depression, lower stress levels, longer lifetimes, and greater happiness. People who give of their time and money have been shown to lead longer, healthier, and happier lives.
Giving is good for our relationships. Since giving increases our happiness, that means we are more pleasant to be around, which in turn makes for more enjoyable relationships with our loved ones. Healthy relationships are built on reciprocity between individuals, giving of your time and affection will elicit similar behaviors from your loved ones. Giving can also improve your work relationships, when you help a coworker you are also helping yourself to be happier.
Giving is good for our community. Imagine what we could accomplish if we were a community full of healthy and happy people who give generously of their money and time to help others? We would have a wonderful community, even more wonderful than what we already have. Studies have shown that giving creates cooperation and social connection, all necessary ingredients for a thriving community. Your giving is also contagious, people who see you giving will want to join in, and they too will be able to reap the benefits of giving.
We hope you have found many reasons to give and that you will find causes and organizations you care about and donate to them this Giving Tuesday.
References:
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/5_ways_giving_is_good_for_you
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2016/11/why-giving-is-good-for-your-health/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/01/generosity-health_n_4323727.html
About Dianna Manjarrez
Dianna Manjarrez is the Community Outreach Liaison at Greater Elgin Family Care Center (GEFCC).
GEFCC is a non-profit Community Health Center which provided care to over 46,000 different people via over 158,000 appointments in Fiscal Year 2017. GEFCC offers care out of 9 full-time Health Centers in 4 Chicagoland Counties, and is Accredited and Certified as a Primary Care Medical Home by The Joint Commission.