There is one universal rule: Do unto others as you would have done to you. This one golden rule has variations in almost all cultures all around the world and may have more emotional health implications than we think.
Ever wonder why you get that inner glow after helping out someone else? Don’t you secretly feel proud of yourself after helping out at a shelter or soup kitchen? Or after donating to charity? Aren’t you inspired to give more or do more charity work just minutes after volunteering?
That feeling is also a universal feeling. Volunteers all around the world have known this truth for a very long time. In their hands, they hold the secret to happiness in the form of giving.
Maybe it has something to do with feeling empowered. As Barack Obama put it so eloquently “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.” And it is true isn’t it? Helping others makes you feel that you are able to make a difference no matter how small you perceive it to be.
This bit of essential information is backed by hard science too. Giving to charity actually triggers the brain’s mesolimbic system. That’s where we get feelings of reward – it’s actually what psychologists call a “helper’s high.”
Not only do you get a “mesolimbic boost”, you also get a self esteem boost and an optimism boost. Not to mention, doing acts of charity and kindness lowers your stress levels and will make you appreciate what you have more. So you get an extra gratefulness boost and lower stress levels to boot. Few activities have all those perks altogether and they’re enough to give you a big happiness boost.
Want to give your heart a happiness boost? Here’s a list of organizations that can help you get started on your volunteering journey, from where you are and no matter what your level of experience is:.
Big Brothers and Big Sisters: They’ve been around for more than 100 years and has been “the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network. Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country. We develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people. “
Change Net is powered by Heart’s and Minds Volunteer Organization and is also home to the End Poverty Campaign. They have programs that let you volunteer from anywhere.
Feed the Children Feed the Children exists to end childhood hunger. It’s the cause upon which we were founded 35 years ago and the one that we continue to fight for each and every day. Their hotline is 1-866-614-4991, is staffed 24 hours a day, and is managed by an independent firm.
Habitat for humanity is “a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian ministry that builds with people in need regardless of race or religion, we welcome volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds.
They have more than 1,400 local affiliates in the United States and more than 70 national organizations around the world. They have helped 6.8 million people improve their living conditions since their founding in 1976.
Red Cross: The Red Cross offers a lot of volunteering options from anywhere in the world, from being a community volunteer, an advocate, a blood drive volunteer etc. Information on more ways to help are available on their website.
United Nations Volunteer Like the Red Cross UN Volunteers also offer a few ways to volunteer your time or resources. “The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development, and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.”
WWF: The WWF has been protecting the future of nature for 50 years. It is “the world’s leading conservation organization, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally. WWF’s unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature.”
Written by Jaie O. – The Help