Winter Solstice may fall on December 22nd, but I'm sure other Winnipeggers would agree with me that winter has arrived in our city. As I turn up the thermostat and add an extra layer of clothes, I find myself thinking back to the summer and taking a mini-mental vacation to days of t-shirt, shorts and flipflops.
I was also looking at a few photos and was reminded of some fun summer events. Speaking of one 'family' event - I had the pleasure of attending a high school graduation ceremony. The accomplishments of these graduates were incredible and inspiring. Here were young men and women, not only achieving stellar grades and excelling in sports, the arts, etc., but they were also devoting time to do exemplary community service work throughout the year - helping those who are less fortunate and involving themselves in projects they created and were passionate about.
In reading studies on longevity, its no surprise to see that 'helping others' is often cited as a key factor to living happier and healthier. In an article published by Success magazine (September 2010) it stated that some research actually shows a 60% decrease in mortality rates for people who help others.
What specifically is it that contributes to this 'helpers high' and the resulting positive benefits? The article listed the following "the dignity, joy, passion and purpose" that result from giving your time and efforts to help another. The article compared this helpers high to the 'runners high' that results from the rush of endorphins that occur during/after physical activity. The difference being that the helper's rush can last much longer (and bottom line: it just feels good to help and to give).
I read another interesting and related, news article a couple months ago. In Yahoo News (Sept 17th, 2011), the author quoted a study that showed that people who volunteer for selfless reasons, like helping another, live longer than those who don't help out. The Winston Longitudinal Study followed over 10,000 Wisconsin residents from 1957 to present. In regards to volunteering, some participants reported volunteering for alruistic reasons and others for self-oriented reasons. They found that when looking at their physical health (controlling for things like socioeconomic status, health risk factors, etc) that those who volunteered for more altruistic reasons had lower mortality rates. 4.3% of the non-volunteers were dead 4 years later versus only 1.6 % of the altruistic volunteers. People who identified volunteering for self-oriented reasons had the same mortality rates as those who did no volunteering at all. Interesting.
We are in the season of holiday giving, where many of us open our hearts and wallets to help those in need. But what motivates us to do so? And how charitable are we after this season is over? What do we do for our communities (and beyond) during the rest of the year?
I'd encourage you to think of how you can selflessly help others, while using your talents/interests/abilities as a guide. What could you give of yourself that would be of benefit to another?
Quoting Wayne Dyer, “When you are able to shift your inner awareness to how you can serve others, and when you make this the central focus of your life, you will then be in a position to know true miracles in your progress toward prosperity.”
Moving you forward, WLS
Posted on
Mon, December 5, 2011
by Erin-Brie Warwick