We’ve all heard sayings that are akin to “give more, take less” which could lead to a healthier mind and more fulfilment in our lives. Giving can be a way to show compassion, it can help build stronger bonds and it can even create relationships. However, a lot of people have the wrong idea about giving. They think that it can be financially irresponsible, they think that their contributions don’t do much or they might think that they’re just wasting their time because there is no benefit to giving.

So in this article, we’re going to take a look at why giving more has the power to change your life, and also how you can give more and take less with some practical life advice.

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/IPx7J1n_xUc (CC0)

Research shows that giving is good for our health

Contrary to what some people might believe, giving actually has the power to improve your health. That warm fuzzy feeling you get when you present a gift to someone isn’t just temporary but could result in a long-lasting positive impact on your heart. Researchers have been studying the link between helping others and your health, and they’ve found that compassion is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. In fact, it’s so important that researchers compare its impact on our lives to that of avoiding smoking and binge drinking.

As you engage in more helpful and positive activities, such as volunteering, you’ll experience a reduced risk of illness and also lower rates of depression. In fact, a neuroscientist by the name of Jorge Moll and his colleagues discovered that giving to charity can actually activate regions in the brain that are associated with trust and pleasure. In another study from Carnegie Mellon University, researchers found that adults over 50 that volunteer on a regular basis were less likely to develop high blood pressure. This is likely in part due to the physical activity involved in certain volunteering tasks but is also likely related to the positive health benefits of giving.

So if you’re looking for a way to protect your health for many years to come, why not consider raising more money for local charities, participating as a volunteer more often and gifting presents to friends and family members. While the act of giving won’t cure your illnesses or protect you from bad life habits, it can definitely provide you with a healthy connection to your community that improves both physical and mental health.

Giving encourages communication and cooperation

The act of giving is something that encourages communication with those that you give to and also cooperation. This can often lead to more trust in your peers, and many people that give on a regular basis can expect to receive something back in the future. Several studies have shown that generosity is likely to be rewarded in the future, whether it’s by the person you gave to or someone else related. This can help encourage communication, networking and even cooperation. The act of building trust is difficult, but giving can be a great entry point to start a trusting relationship with someone.

Exchanges of gifts or assistance can often lead to the promotion of cooperation. Positive social interactions can be good for both your mental and physical health, and it helps you develop relationships that will flourish. This is essential when working in environments that revolve around teamwork. It’s a fantastic way for a team to build trust in each other, but it can also help ease mental concerns such as anxiety. As you get to know people through the power of giving, you’ll start to form better relationships with people while also building up your sense of teamwork.

You can’t expect to give someone a gift an instantly become friends, but it’s still a fantastic way to break the ice. It can also be used as an excuse to reconnect with people or even to build bridges for networking purposes. Human interaction is important in our daily lives, and giving is a great way to start encouraging communication and cooperation with your peers.

As you can see, giving can be a powerful way to improve our lifestyles, but it does require that you give the right way instead of just mindlessly throwing your finances away. We hope that this article has been insightful and has helped you understand why giving is so important in our lives, and also how you can give more while staying within your financial limitations.