The article explained the research that has been done which shows that people who volunteer regularly have been shown to have better physical health as they age. When we make acts of kindness a habit, it’s also good for our health. When we help others it can boost our own happiness and psychological well-being. People are able to walk longer at older ages and have better balance. Research has shown that people who engage in volunteering and make charitable contributions have lower levels of physical pain. It is not completely understood how volunteering improves our health. A thought is that our stress response can improve when we do good for others. When we engage in volunteer activities it may distract us from our own problems and give some perspective on our own lives. How many times have you said about volunteering—“I get more out of this than the people I’m helping.” This research may show that this is true in many ways. The author ends by saying that we really can’t go wrong when we engage in behaviors that aim to help others. “At the very least, it will make the world a little better place for many others. And we might just make it a little bit better for ourselves.”
So keep up all of those volunteer activities and acts of kindness, District 5610 Rotarians! Continue doing good in our world. I am sure it is helping others, and hopefully we will each benefit as well.
The article is called When kindness becomes a habit it improves our health and is authored by Tara Gruenewald, a social and health psychologist at Chapman University.