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10 Simple Acts of Giving That Improve Mental Health

10 Simple Acts of Giving That Improve Mental Health

Acts of giving can improve mental health. It can help reduce stress, improve our emotional well-being and even benefits our physical health. Doing good does us good.  Here are 10 ways that we can provide acts of giving while improving our mental health at the same time :

1. Offer to pick up some groceries for your elderly neighbour or family member:

This will save them time and energy for having to go to the store themselves or having to find someone who will go and purchase their groceries for them. It helps them, and in turn allows you to feel good for doing something to give back to someone else.

2. Tell your family members how much you love and appreciate them:

Saying “I love you,” or “I appreciate you – thank you for everything you do, can go a long way!”

simple acts of gratitude

3. Send a motivational text to a friend who is struggling:

One small, quick text to a friend may be something small to you but it can mean the world to someone who is struggling to get through their day.

4. Engage in conversation with a shop assistant while paying for your items:

Kindness and communication with a stranger can help make their day better and helps you feel good about extending an olive branch of friendliness to someone else.

5. Sign up to do some volunteer work:

Volunteering for a cause that is near and dear to your heart helps out the cause and also adds a sense of fulfillment to your own personal well-being and fills your heart with gratitude.

Volunteering is a simple act of giving

6. Make and send a care package to someone who needs it:

If you have a friend or family member who has just had surgery or who has recently left their relationship and is on their own, gather a care package together and drop it off. For some ideas on the types of care packages you can make, check out this site.

7. Buy a cup of coffee or tea for a co-worker “Just Because:”

Buying a little something for someone else for no reason than “just because,” will put a smile on the other person’s face and will give you a sense of pride in being able to give something to someone else for no specific reason.

8. Give up your seat for an elderly, disabled or pregnant person:

If you see someone who could use a seat and there are no other seats available around you ie. at a doctor’s office, on the bus, etc., stand up and allow that person to take your seat.

9. Smile at a complete stranger:

A smile can go a long way. You never know what battle the person you smile at is facing. It could change the whole outlook on the rest of their day. The may even pay it forward and smile at someone else which creates a ripple effect.

Smiling is a simple act of giving

10. Have a conversation with a homeless person:

Sometimes all someone needs is to be acknowledged that they are seen and that they are human and deserve as much kindness as the next person. A simple “Hello, how are you today?” could mean the world to someone who is alone and afraid.

These 10 ideas will help make the world a happier place while simultaneously making you feel better and improving your mental health. Simple acts can be very strong forces that improve mood and spread joy. Try any of these ideas today to increase your own mood and give yourself a mental boost that will ripple out into the world.

For more ideas on improving your mental health by performing acts of giving and kindness, check out the 365give blog or these related articles:

12 Easy Ways to Improve your Mental Health Starting Today

Healing Earth, Healing Mind: Improve your Mental Health and our Environment

Patty Benfeito
+ posts

I am a mom of 2 amazing teenage boys and I work in the healthcare field in Human Resources. I love spending time with my partner, Tim and our kids. I enjoy reading, going for walks, spending time at the beach and hanging out by the fire pit delighting in bonfires in the summer months and going for long country drives, stopping to grab an ice creram somewhere along the way. My passion in life is to help others and be the change I want to see in the world and hence why I am a part of the 365give.ca team and movement.

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