Why You Should Help Others When You Need to Improve Your Well-Being
We all have days when we’re just not in the mood for work and trying to ease our sluggishness with another trip to the coffee maker, but there’s a more altruistic solution that might give you more value: helping others.
A recent analysis of the Open Science Framework looked at 21 other studies to anecdotally show that one of the most consistent ways to increase happiness was to do a good deed for someone else. Dr. Oliver Scott Curry, lead author of the article, says that:
“These effects [after an act of kindness] are comparable to other positive psychological interventions. This suggests that doing good will not change your life, but can help direct it in the right direction. “
This is something to think about in the context of your day-to-day work. Most of us spend most of our time in the office; we can’t all go out and have a cup of coffee or do some random good deeds while we work, but you can probably see if your colleagues need a helping hand with anything.
It’s a little silly, but true and effective. When I get stuck on something or just don’t want to do my job, I see what everyone else is doing and if there are any ways I can help. It allows me to clear my mind of one problem and feel good if I can help. This is literally a selfish reason to be helpful. And it’s better than stale coffee.
Acts of Kindness Really Increase Happiness | Psychoblog through Muse