Donating to Charity is a Bonus for Mental and Physical Health
It’s winter, a time of cold and dark when our natural Vitamin D levels are at their lowest. What can we do to improve our mental wellbeing?
Research shows that donating to charity can give you that feel-good factor to boost your mental and physical well-being. It’s the knowledge that you are helping others which stimulates reward areas in the brain, creating positive feelings.
The power of giving, as Jessica Weinberger has stated, helps to combat stress, depression, and anxiety – all areas which we are most at risk of at this time of the year. It can also, according to the Cleveland Clinic, be a decisive factor in lowering blood pressure, increasing self-esteem, and is associated with longer life and greater happiness.
These fantastic effects are sometimes described as ‘The Helper’s High’. Giving to charity, according to Psychology Today, can ‘release endorphins’ or positive energy which create the high for people who give.
But it isn’t just mental health that is impacted positively by giving. Physical health gets a boost too. ‘Volunteers tend to live longer and often have better physical health than non-volunteers’ says Sherrie Bourg Carter. If your stress levels are reduced through giving, your body is going to be more relaxed. You’re also more likely to get a good night’s sleep.
One problem is how to choose which charity to give to. Having to pick just one out of thousands can actually add to our stress loads. Here at Givto we make that process easier. Our subscription service is an anxiety-free way of contributing to local and national charities every month. You also get to learn about different causes and give back to the community whilst also feeling great about what you’re doing.
Why not join Givto and feel good with one simple Direct Debit?
