Year after year, new studies highlight the benefits of generosity for both our physical and mental health. Not only does generosity reduce stress, support one’s physical health, enhance one’s sense of purpose, and fight depression, it has also been shown to increase one’s lifespan. If a longer, less stressful, and more meaningful life is not enough to inspire you to boost your practice of generosity, consider that generosity also promotes social connection and improves relationships. According to Jason Marsh and Jill Suttie of the Greater Good Science Center, “When we give to others, we don’t only make them feel closer to us; we also feel closer to them.” This is because being generous and kind encourages us to perceive others in a more positive light as well as fostering a sense of community and a feeling of interconnectedness. But generosity also makes us feel better about ourselves. Its a natural confidence builder and a repellant of self-hatred. By focusing on what we are giving, rather than what we are receiving, we create a more outward orientation toward the world, shifting our focus away from ourselves. While maintaining a healthy level of self-awareness and sensitivity to oneself is important, too often when we narrow in on ourselves we do so with a negative lens. We listen to the “critical inner voice” in our heads, which scrutinizes our every move and barrages us with negative thoughts, toward ourselves and others. These thoughts undermine our confidence and can even lead to self-sabotage. Being generous distracts us from the critical inner voice’s stream of nasty thoughts—and creates a strong argument against it. When we see someone else benefiting from our kind actions, for example, its hard for the inner voice to argue that we are worthless.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 20:07:27 +0000
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