The Health of Giving

“Being generous and thinking of others helps our own bodies relax and reduce stress. It allows us to see ourselves as part of the bigger picture. It has been shown that people’s personal health improves once they look outside of themselves,” says Loretta Ortiz y Pino, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Holy Cross Hospital.

Scientists call this neuroplasticity, the term for the brain’s ability to restructure itself based on experience. Generosity is a form of healing that allows the brain to restructure itself toward health. Nutrition, exercise, and access to quality health care are long talked about essential building blocks for life long health. Recent studies now say that giving and a purposeful life contribute to good health as well.

“Giving and helping are part of who we are and when we give, the brain rewards us with feelings of joy and satisfaction,” says Jack Garland, MD, Pathologist at Holy Cross Hospital. “Giving physiologically makes us healthier.

Helping others:
• Increases immune system
• Improves cognitive performance
• Increases energy
• Lowers heart rate
• Balances cortisol levels, resulting in less internal stress
• Leads to a longer and more satisfied life
• Increaseslaughter and inner joy resulting in decreased stress hormones; lower blood pressure; diminished pain

To think about helping others begins with reflecting on caring and identifying what you love. Giving takes many forms. It often begins with a smile, and encourages someone else’s heart to begin opening. In addition to smiling, other actions you can take to improve your health:

• Teach. Take the time to teach someone a skill you know. Teaching your grandma or your friend to use email or your child to ride a bike.

• Show appreciation, publicly. Praising someone in front of coworkers, in front of family or in some other public way is a great way to make them feel better about themselves.

• Comfort someone who needs it. Often a hug, a helpful hand, a kind word or a listening ear will go a long way.

• Donate food. Clean out your cupboard of canned goods, or buy a couple bags of groceries and donate them to a food pantry.

• Help someone get active. A person in your life who wants to get healthy might need a helping hand. Offer to go walking or running together, to join a gym together.

• Do a chore. Help a friend or neighbor do something small or large such as cleaning up, doing the dishes, hauling trash or cooking dinner.

• Call a charity to volunteer. Decide today to make the call and make an appointment to volunteer. Volunteering is one of the most amazing things you can do.

• Donate something you don’t use. Decide to give away what you don’t want or need.

• Make a donation. Provide support to a community organization in your community.

• Be patient. Sometimes people can have difficulty understanding things or learning to do something correctly. Learn and practice being patient with them.

• Love. Simply finding ways to express your love toward others, whether it be your partner, child, family member, friend, co-worker or a complete stranger, just express your love. A hug, a kind word, spending time, showing kindness or being friendly. It all matters more than you know.

“It is amazing how we become engaged outside of ourselves when we give. When we step outside of our own lives to help someone, we find that our own load lightens up. We let go of our own problems for awhile. Because of this generosity, our minds shift and our bodies start to relax. When we give and we feel needed, our hearts open up. We feel less stress, and our blood pressure drops. Then we become truly happy,” says Ortiz y Pino.

Scientists call it neuroplasticity. We call it being good to your neighbors, being engaged in your community, and loving each other. Whatever you call it, it helps you become healthier. It helps your neighbors become healthier, and it helps our community become healthier. Consider giving to your community, for your health and ours.