There’s a definite feel-good moment when you see the face of someone you’re helping light up in acknowledgment of your compassion. But research shows these feelings are far from fleeting and that generosity affects our brains and our health, possibly even extending our lives.
Generosity and compassion have been a focal point of research for decades, and studies have consistently shown that improved mood, better physical health and increased longevity are connected to giving — whether it’s monetary donations or volunteer hours invested on the weekend. When it comes to your health, it truly is better to give than to receive.
Generosity and Your Brain
The feel-good effects of giving begin in the brain. It’s called “giver’s glow,” says Stephen G. Post, director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics at New York’s Stony Brook University. The response, he says, is triggered by brain chemistry in the mesolimbic pathway, which recognizes rewarding stimuli.
Philanthropy “doles out several different happiness chemicals,” Post says, “including dopamine, endorphins that give people a sense of euphoria and oxytocin, which is associated with tranquility, serenity or inner peace.”
This pleasure and reward system evolved some 1 to 2 billion years ago, and at its most basic level, is tied to the joy we receive from eating, sex and social interactions. Viewing the brain with MRI technology during moments of generosity or selfless behavior has led scientists to uncover that even the thought of giving can engage this ancient response.
Some experts suggest that evolution isn’t merely the survival of the fittest individual but is dependent on the group or community living and working together. This evolutionary theory of group selection could help explain why the brain responds to generosity in a similar way as it does to behaviors necessary for life.
Mental and Physical Benefits of Giving
Numerous studies have attempted to capture the benefits of giving, and they’ve consistently shown that giving makes people feel good. Whether it’s volunteering or donating cash, selfless action can help lessen the risk and symptoms of depression and day-to-day stress.
One study published in 2013 in the American Journal of Public Health found that giving time and assistance to others reduced the mortality risk tied to stress, a known risk factor for many chronic diseases. According to the study, which looked at 846 adults in the Detroit area, stress did not predict mortality for participants who had helped others within the previous year. But the link between stress and mortality was apparent in people who didn’t lend a helping hand, even after adjusting for age, health and other variables.
A larger, earlier study followed more than 2,000 residents of Marin County, California, and found that volunteerism reduced mortality rates more than exercising four times weekly and attending church regularly (another behavior tied to improved mental health and greater longevity). Subjects who volunteered for two or more causes had a 63 percent lower rate of mortality than people who didn’t volunteer during the study period. The findings were published in the Journal of Health Psychology.
But volunteering isn’t the only method of good-for-you giving. Charitable donations trigger the mesolimbic system in much the same way. Even thinking about giving money to a meaningful cause engages this evolutionary reward system, according to research led by Jorge Moll of the D’Or Institute for Research and Education in Brazil.
But it Has to be Heartfelt
Whether you’re giving time, money or a helping hand, you stand to receive the stress-busting benefits of altruism. But your intentions, or how you feel about the action, matter.
“If it’s a meaningful donation, it can have a significant impact,” Post says, “but if it’s trivial or just grudging or whatever, probably not.”
This kind of meaningful giving, or even contemplating such heartfelt generosity, takes your focus off yourself and things that may weigh you down from day to day. Writing a check in hopes of lessening your stress without thought as to where the money is going likely won’t be as effective as giving from the heart.
When you’re able to give part of yourself in a selfless manner, the potential windfall can be significant, and it all comes relatively easily.
When giving selflessly, “people say their friendships are deeper, they’re sleeping better and they’re able to handle life’s obstacles better,” Post says. “On a scale of 1 to 10 — and 10’s a really powerful drug like insulin in the treatment of diabetes — this stuff is probably up there around a 7 or 8. And the amazing thing is, you don’t need to go to a drugstore for it.”
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What Generosity Does to Your Brain and Life Expectancy originally appeared on usnews.com