Whether it be donating money or time, Australians are among the most generous givers in the world. We give because it helps others, our friends, our family, our communities, or we give to simply say thanks.
Perhaps more interesting than why people give, and something that those that give don’t realise is how good it is for our health. Research shows that giving is good for us in several ways.
When we give the feel-good chemicals in our brain such as serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin are secreted, leading to us feeling more engaged with and joyful about our lives which is great for our health and overall happiness. It also reduces cortisol levels in the brain which is the hormone that makes us feel overwhelmed or anxious. Giving has also proven to be a way of stimulating the brain’s reward center, known as the mesolimbic pathway, giving the giver a boost to self-esteem, and helping to combat depression.
But it’s not just our mental health which gets a boost from giving. Generosity is also good for our hearts, it lowers blood pressure, and has a similar effect to the positive results that a healthy diet and exercise can bring in protecting our tickers. In fact, studies have also shown increased health benefits to people with chronic illness, HIV, and multiple sclerosis.
Giving also invokes gratitude and the research also shows that gratitude is vital to happiness, health, and social connection. When we give, we also inspire others to do the same, which benefits the wider community and society as a whole. This is supported by research that found kindness in the form of giving, be that money, a gift or volunteering has the potential to spread three times from person, to person, to person, with each person then potentially influence dozens if not hundreds more people, even some people they’ve never met.
PA Research Foundation Chief Executive officer Damian Topp said the organisation he leads prides itself on being a place that facilitates giving to create better health outcomes for all.
“Patients and their families who donate to us, just want the opportunity to say thank you for their care and give what they can to thank those who cared for them so that others can also be helped.”
“We know it’s an important step in the health journey for patients to be able to give back to the hospital that saved their life or nursed them back to health. Our role is merely to facilitate that gratitude.
“Every donation’s impactful, helping us to advance medical research, support patients to have better outcomes, fund state of the art equipment and empower staff with the latest education.”
