Help Someone....Daily and Be Healthy

We are all so busy inside our own heads with our own problems, and tasks of the day that sometimes we miss the little things in life that could make a huge difference in our health. It is a proven fact that when we go outside of ourselves and reach out to others, we are happier! I don't mean digging a well in a third world country. There are probably 20 simple ways each day that you can help someone....if you are paying attention and coming outside of yourself.

Mahatma Gandhi once said that “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Your actions of kindness can change someone's entire outlook on life as well as your own. 

Recently my 18 year old son and I were in the grocery store. We were second in line with the customer in front of us with a large order. I whispered to him to go bag her groceries. He moved to the end of the belt and started to bag, even asking the woman if she would like her milk in a bag. She laughed (good medicine). The woman was so appreciative by this small little act of human helping human. The cashier was taken aback as well and said that he hoped my son's good deed was paid forward to him.

Often at Meijer I like to surprise the person ahead of me and bag their groceries (because I want to get out of there AND I want to help). I always  ask their permission first. No one has ever refused the help.  One time, the person I bagged for waited for me to ring my order up and helped me. I think this is SO FUN and contagious!

Consider some recent research*:

• Students who performed five acts of kindness a day increased their happiness
• Providing emotional support to others significantly decreased the harmful health effects of certain kinds of stress among older people
• People who donated money to charity got a boost in a feel-good part of the brain, as revealed in brain imaging research

*http://www.liveyourlifewell.org/go/live-your-life-well/others 

I recommend building "helping others" into your daily life. You will reap the rewards.

If you want to dive deeper into the benefits of helping others, I recommend Stephen G., Post's book  "The Hidden Gifts of Helping." He is Professor of Preventive Medicine, Head of the Division of Medicine in Society, and Director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics at Stony Brook University. Visit him on his website at www.stephengpost.com/hiddengifts.

Now get out there and help someone!

To Your Best Health,

Denise Lovat
Certified Holistic Health Coach

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