Giving (no.5 of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing)
Ways to give can be really varied, it can involve giving your time, or your company, leaving an item of food in the foodbank box at the supermarket, or having a clear out and taking items you don’t need any more to charity.
Neuroscience suggests that ‘giving’ activates the reward area of our brains, meaning that we feel good when we give.
Smiling at and greeting someone with genuine warmth is also a way of giving. Your smile and friendly chat could brighten up and make someone’s day. Knowing or even just feeling that you have made a difference can change negative feelings into positive ones.
“Giving is like gold -dust for our mental wellbeing”
quote taken from www.mindkit.org.uk/5-ways-to-wellbeing/
Do you have some spare time on your hands and want to use this to give back to your community?
There are so many different volunteering opportunities available, from helping at animal shelters to supporting people in their homes or working in a shop. Spending some meaningful time, usually in the company of others not only helps you to connect, you might also learn new skills that can assist with employment in the future, or maybe it just interests you, either way you are ticking off several of the Ways to Wellbeing’s in one go! Being able to share your knowledge, skills, energy, funny stories with people that might be struggling too will give you both a boost and improve your moods.
This volunteering website is a good place to start to see what there might be in your area.
I bet that as you start to give more you will start to notice that you also receive more. Someone smiles at you, offers to help you with something, rings just to check you are ok? Giving really has such a positive effect on the wider community. Of course, don’t take on too much and burn yourself out, self-care is very important too, but giving can really spread joy and happiness far and wide!
Why wait til Christmas to spend too much money on expensive presents that people don’t necessarily need, you could buy a small gift, out of the blue just to cheer up a friend, that surely has a lot more thought and meaning?
As I have said before, we all need help sometimes…
It might be you giving now but when life might be difficult for you or a loved one someone else will be giving their time and energy to care.
Try it and let me know how you get on? I would love to hear your comments and stories.