Helping Others Helps Your Heart(01 of19)
Open Image ModalPulling the plug on the stress cycle is good for your heart. "Having high levels of cortisol in an extended way is bad for the cardiovascular system," says Post. "It's a good predictor of heart problems." People who score high on hostility scales are more likely to have heart disease. It's not so great for the brain, either: "Cortisol is associated with hippocampal atrophy, which is in turn associated with dementia," says Post. "Getting away from yourself, reaching out and contributing to the lives of others, especially in hard times when people are anxious about economic conditions, is a very healthy thing."
Giving Helps You Overcome Stress (02 of19)
Open Image ModalTo help someone you don't know, you have to overcome the natural impulse to avoid risk. Every time you help a stranger, you are reaching out a little, and that can make you feel vulnerable. The theory is that to overcome those fears, your body releases a hormone called oxytocin, which helps you buffer stress while increasing social trust and tranquility. This "compassion hormone," it turns out, is very good for your body. "You are limiting exposure to stress hormones like cortisol," says Brown. "That may be one reason why helping behavior is related to longevity."
Thoughts of Giving Fills the Brain With Feel-Good Chemicals(03 of19)
Open Image ModalHelpers Live Longer(04 of19)
Open Image ModalOxytocin: The "Compassion Hormone"(05 of19)
Open Image Modal"The caring connection system is related to the hormone oxytocin, often called the compassion hormone," says Post. You might have heard of this hormone -- it's released during childbirth, and also during orgasm. It helps moms bond with their babies, lovers with each other. "When people are in a caring modality, circuits in the brain are active that can't be active during hate or hostility. It pushes aside those negative emotions."
More Great Things About Oxytocin(06 of19)
Open Image Modal"Oxytocin is causally related to helping behavior," says Brown. Besides helping you feel warm and fuzzy, the compassion hormone is also good for you. "Oxytocin helps cells repair themselves, store nutrients and grow," she says. Oxytocin primes us to overcome the motivation to avoid stressful stimulus so that we can help others, according to the latest hypothesis. Says Brown, "When we help others, we think that there is a release of oxytocin, and that interferes with the stress response." To break the cycle of chronic stress, she says, a simple act of caring may suffice.
Parenting And The Helper's High(07 of19)
Open Image ModalGiving, taking care of others, helping someone whose well-being you really care about -- sounds like being a good mom or dad, doesn't it? Indeed, the helper's high may originate with the caregiving impulse that parenting evokes. "In animal models, the brain changes during pregnancy in ways that prime the hypothalamus to overcome stress avoidance and to give care," says Brown. "So does exposure to a newborn. Being a parent is stimulating that aspect." While we may think of this as maternal -- a "mom" thing -- it's found equally in male and female research animals, and may work the same way in humans, says Brown.
The Mother Teresa Effect(08 of19)
Open Image ModalIt's a classic study: In 1988, some Harvard students were asked to watch a video of Mother Teresa doing her amazing good deeds; other students watched a video of people peeling potatoes. Really. Then researchers tested the students' saliva for a biomarker for immune function, immunoglobulin A. Those who watched Mother Teresa had higher levels. Next, the researchers asked one group to just think about helping others and, wonder of wonders, their immunoglobulin A levels were higher than the control group's, too. (credit:Getty: RAVEENDRAN)
Helping Others Could Stem Mild Depression(09 of19)
Open Image ModalAmong people whose spouses have died, those who help others recover from depressive symptoms more quickly, according to one study; other studies find similar benefits. It's not that taking care of others always puts people in a good mood, explains Brown. It's more complicated than that. Taking care of a chronically-ill child, for example, is terribly taxing on a day-to-day basis, but it can still strengthen the emotional health of the parent. Says Post, "Volunteering helps those who are mildly or moderately depressed." It may not be as therapeutic for those with severe depression. In one study of alcoholics going through the Alcoholics Anonymous program, those who helped others were nearly twice as likely to stay dry a year later, and their levels of depression were lower, too.
The Healthiest Kind of Helping(10 of19)
Open Image ModalNot all volunteering makes you healthier. Reluctant, bad-faith efforts might even be bad for you. "If you are helping out of a sense of obligation, it may not be beneficial to your health," says Brown. Maybe your boss made you do it. Or your parents. Maybe you don't even like the charity, and you certainly resent the time sink. Result: Instead of your stress floating away, it soars. "Just stuffing envelopes for a cause you don't believe in, with no human contact, especially if you feel exploited, will evoke a very different aspect of physiology from compassionate helping," says Brown.
Give It Time(11 of19)
Open Image ModalJust because you're not sure at first how you feel about volunteering doesn't mean you won't get benefits over time. Helping others might wind up changing you for good. This delayed benefit is especially common for teenagers, notes Post: "When adolescents are forced to volunteer, many of them are disgruntled at the outset, but once they start doing it, a light goes on." Says Brown, "If a helping situation puts you in close contact with people who you wind up caring about helping, that may have long-term benefits for your physical health. My advice is expose yourself to a genuine need for help, and your body will take over."
Financial Help Counts, Too(12 of19)
Open Image ModalGive money to Japan? Like to support a charity? Don't discount your financial efforts in pursuit of something you care about. "Writing a check has benefits, too," says Brown. In several studies, subjects who, for example, use money to benefit others feel happier than those who use it for themselves. "Even an online contribution may create well-being," says Brown.
Make It Personal(13 of19)
Open Image ModalWhile it's true that just thinking about doing good evokes good-for-you chemicals, getting personally involved in a cause you care about is particularly powerful. "Studies on volunteering, from older adults to younger kids, find that for people to stick with it, they need to be doing something that excites them, that they feel called to do," says Post. "Use your gifts. Volunteering is successful when the individual is doing something that he or she feels confident to do."
Be A "Wounded Healer"(14 of19)
Open Image ModalHave you struggled with a chronic condition, an emotional affliction or an addiction? Consider helping other people with similar problems. Experts call this the "wounded healer" principle: The best person to help someone with a problem is someone who's been there, done that. In one study, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) were trained to provide compassionate support over the phone for 15 minutes a month to fellow MS sufferers. Result: The helpers felt more self-confident, had better self-esteem and experienced less depression. Similarly, in another study, people with chronic pain who counseled those with similar conditions experienced a drop in their own symptoms of pain -- and depression.
Two: The Magic Number(15 of19)
Open Image ModalTwo hours a week, about 100 hours a year -- that's the average number of hours that volunteers in the United States tend to contribute, according to national surveys. It's also the number that is associated with health benefits. "It's a threshold," says Post, "a curve. After about two hours a week, the emotional benefits tend to flatten out." It's fine to volunteer more, but you may not get additional benefits, he says.
Busy Moms Are Already Volunteers(16 of19)
Open Image ModalIf you are already more than busy enough taking care of young kids, don't feel obligated to carve out special "volunteer" time, advises Brown. A better goal: Model empathy, attentive listening and compassion for your child. "Raising a caring child takes a long time," says Post. Children who are described as caring, who want to do good for humanity, tend to be shielded as adults from heart disease and depression, he adds. If you can find time to volunteer, of course, that's one way your child may learn the benefits of helping others.
The Paul Newman Effect(17 of19)
Open Image ModalGet kids started early helping others, advises Post. He lived in Shaker Heights, Ohio, for 20 years and heard a lot about Paul Newman, who grew up there. "From the age of 4 or 5, Paul was doing charitable things," says Post. "He was well-known for selling lemonade to support various causes. He was always that kind of guy. Later in life, he picked up where he left off." (credit:Getty: JEAN-PIERRE MULLER)
Remember To Help Yourself, Too(18 of19)
Open Image ModalCan You Care Too Much?(19 of19)
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