Merry Christmas to all of you from Jash Botanicals. Just a short blog to remind you that helping others generates benefits for everyone. During a survey of more than 12,000 people conducted by England’s University of Essex, they discovered that citizens of communities with soaring levels of volunteerism had better physical and mental health than those who didn’t.
“Healthy people are more likely to volunteer, and volunteering, in turn, promotes better health, says Peggy Thoits, Ph.D., a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. In our research, we found that it’s one of the best things you can do for your overall well-being.”
A study done in Ontario, Canada revealed that volunteering not only enhances self-esteem and combats social isolation, but also reduces the impact of stress on the body, lowering blood pressure and even reinforcing the immune system.
In addition, according to another study, volunteering appears to give new meaning to life for seniors, diminishing anxiety and depression and amplifies life satisfaction. It also helps a person cope with the foreseeable losses that occur with age. This would include retirement, the death of friends or relatives, loss of social contacts and geographic separation from children and grandchildren.
Let’s face it people—it feels good and the explanation may lie in the sense of calmness that occurs from helping others, also known as the “helper’s high”. It is a win-win situation where society benefits and the person volunteering may personally benefit. According to Harvard cardiologist Herbert Benson, who is known for his work on the relaxation response (the body’s ability to shift into a deep state of rest), the health profits of doing good things for others are akin to those experienced by anyone who practices yoga, spirituality and meditation, namely a deceleration of heart rate and a decrease in blood pressure.
So, the bottom line is, get out there and do it folks! If you don’t know where to start, go to www.volunteermatch.org and type in your zip code and interest area. They will send you a list of local charities that would love to have you.