The less fortunate in society live constrained lives due to poverty. In most cases, you will find people dealing with housing issues, food security, to basic healthcare needs. Primary care comes at a cost that most families in less fortunate communities cannot afford. That is where charitable donations come in. The more charities spring up, the more assistance to specific marginalized groups increases. However, the number of people giving away gifts has not increased. Lack of giving is mainly due to a lack of information on how charity work is beneficial to society. Here are five benefits to philanthropy.
Mental rewards
As you give, your mindset changes. You begin to understand how your little gift goes a long way to put food to the table or clothing on a needy person’s back. Giving elicits empathy and creates a response in your brain that mimics one activated by drugs or other stimuli. A dopamine and endorphins surge in the brain results in a feeling of reward and pleasure.
Improves life satisfaction
People who give more of their time and resources elicit greater satisfaction in life, as a study conducted in Germany reveals. Communities with higher giving tendencies often demonstrate greater satisfaction while interacting with others than communities that do not help each other.
Happiness
As depicted in research by the University of Missouri, Columbia, and California, giving comes with greater joy and happiness. Those that give often scored higher levels of happiness scores than most that did not provide. Coupled together, a happier person will lead a more fulfilled and improved life.
Improved health
When giving involves allocating personal time to help out in charity work, your body gets rewarded with better cognitive and physical strength. Overall, your resilience during physical activity translates to improved bodily functions, while empathy and problem-solving improve your cognitive abilities.
Reduces stress
Further to happiness, charity work can result in increased opportunities for stress relief. Researchers from the John Hopkins University revealed that givers who gave consistently resulted in reduced blood pressure and lower rates of stress than most that do not provide.
Philanthropy is crucial for the empowerment of those that are lesser fortunate than us. All human beings need to apply themselves to helping others.