Everyone knows that generosity is good for those who receive, but maybe not everyone knows how good generosity is for those who give: not just in terms of warm-fuzzy feelings, but in terms of physical health.
Here are some statistics showing a clear correlation between generosity and good health:
- People who regularly give their time or money to causes are up to 63% more likely not to suffer from insomnia or sleep apnea.
- People who are regularly generous also have elevated antibody levels and are therefore more capable of resisting disease and infection.
- Elderly people who volunteered regularly were 44% less likely to die over a five-year period than their non-volunteering friends.
- Volunteering later in life can also reduce older adults’ risk of developing dementia.
- States with the highest rates of volunteerism also had the lowest rates of heart disease.
The benefits of generosity to your health have a lot to do with your body’s chemicals. Acts of generosity release feel-good chemicals (serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin are a few) that ultimately fight against the symptoms of depression and anxiety. And, people who are generous have measurably reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol compared to those who are not.
Not to mention, generosity is contagious. Those who receive another person’s generosity are more inclined to be generous to others.
And you don’t have to have a lot of money to be generous. Giving your time and effort is just as valuable, and rewarding.
How do you change your life to be more generous?
Halcyon is launching a generosity campaign to address this very question, so as to help more people reap the benefits generosity offers to their health.
Watch our social media channels for the launch of the campaign and keep a sharp eye on your inbox for news if you have subscribed to our email list.