According to a recent meta-analysis in the Psychological Bulletin, helping others improves your happiness and health. The research looked at more than 200 studies involving nearly 200,000 participants, and found that helping others can boost your wellbeing. While the benefits of prosocial behavior are generally modest, they do vary depending on the type of kindness and other demographic factors. Here are a few ways you can help others:
As humans, we are naturally inclined to want to help others. We admire those who do good deeds and want to emulate them. For example, in a classic study, participants were asked to observe a person receiving a fake shock. Those who felt compassion for the confederate were willing to undergo the shocks on his behalf. And the same effect can occur if you take on a good deed yourself.
To help others, you must improve yourself. You must invest time in self-development, develop your knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Without them, you will not be able to make a significant impact in the world. To improve yourself, you must increase your helping power. This is a lifelong process that begins with the self. When we develop ourselves, we have more time to help others, and a greater capacity to give and receive help.