- posted: Dec. 16, 2021
Giving evokes gratitude. Research suggests that cultivating gratitude in everyday life is one of the keys to increasing personal happiness. "When you express your gratitude in words or actions, you not only boost your own positivity but other people's as well."
Giving makes us feel happy. In a 2006 study from National Institutes of Health found that when people give to charities, it activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust, creating a "warm glow" effect. Scientist also believe that altruistic behavior releases endorphins in the brain, producing the positive feeling know as the "helper's high".
Giving is contagious. When we give, we don't only help the immediate recipient of our gift. We also spur a ripple effect of generosity through our community. There are studies that suggest when one person behaves generously, it inspires observers to behave generously later, toward different people. As a result each person could influence dozens or even hundreds of other people.
Giving has also been linked to the release of oxytocin, a hormone that induces feelings of warmth, euphoria, and connection to others. Laboratory studies have found that a dose of oxytocin will cause people to give more generously and to feel more empathy towards others, with "symptoms" lasting up to two hours.
Getting your adjustments this holiday season will help keep your stress levels down, and allow things like the oxytocin and endorphins to travel through your body as it is supposed to do when triggered by things like giving.
