World Health Day – How Giving Increases Your Health & Well-being

Happy World Health Day! #Worldhealthday This is the 70th anniversary of World Health Day, a global celebration where the World Health Organization (WHO) brings health to the forefront. Last year they put the spotlight on depression, this year they are looking at Universal Health Care for all. WHO is calling on world leaders to live up to the pledges they made when they agreed the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, and commit to concrete steps to advance the health of all people. This means ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access essential quality health services without facing financial hardship.

No one should have to choose between death and financial hardship. No one should have to choose between buying medicine and buying food.- World Health Organization

Great Gives For World Health Day

1. Take a senior to their doctors appointment. Drive them or help them take public transportation. Just go along for the ride and give them a little support.
2. Use the hashtag #Worldhealthday on your social media to support Universal Health Care in all countries. If your country is fortunate enough to have UHC, lend support to those who dont.
3. Send a care package to someone who is at home sick. A few flowers, some fresh fruit, some home made treats. Let them know you care.
4. Call a sick friend and say hello. Being ill can feel lonely and isolating. Giving someone a call to see how they are will brighten their day.
5. Donate to a local animal shelter that is committed to helping sick animals. Health for all means health for all, even our little furry creatures. Healthy animals maintain good public health in our communities and countries.

How Giving Increases Your Own Health and Well-being

Now that you have completed your give for the day, sit back and see how YOU feel. Giving does rock your own health so your daily giving is healthy for you and others. We have outlined the Science of Giving and how it effects you physically. Scientists call the physical reaction of giving the ‘Helper’s High’ similar to how you feel when you exercise. Endorphins are released, your cortisol levels decrease (stress hormone), you feel good, and you realize that life is good. Mentally and physically you feel great after a give. Our bodies are hard wired for giving, they react positively when we do an act of generosity.

The New Economics Foundation (NEF), a British think tank, published a thoughtful, research-based paper outlining five ways to well-being. One of the ways is to give every day. Yup, you heard it right, they are also supporting giving to increase your wellbeing, and happiness.

This is what they say about giving: (we think they have been digging into our members gives and looking at our giving suggestions!)

Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile.
Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in.
Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be
incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.

This is an excerpt from their report – note that they support and state that early childhood giving is powerful.

“Neuroscience has shown that mutual cooperation is associated with enhanced neuronal response in reward areas of the brain, which indicates that social cooperation is intrinsically rewarding. As Professor Kirkwood comments, ‘the vast majority of our behaviour is motivated by either obtaining rewards or avoiding punishments which modify behaviour through reinforcement. Appropriate stimulation of this reward system, particularly in early life, contributes to gains in cognitive and social functioning critical
for the development of mental capital and well-being. Indeed, the Foresight definition of mental well-being says that it is enhanced when an individual is able to achieve a sense of purpose in society and, thus, contribute to their community. So, helping, sharing, giving and team-oriented behaviours are likely to be associated with an increased sense of self-worth and positive feelings.

Participation in social and community life has attracted a lot of attention in the field of well-being research. Feelings of happiness and life satisfaction have been strongly associated with active participation in social and community life. For older people, volunteering is associated with more positive affect and more meaning in life,52 while offering support to others has been shown to be associated with reduced mortality rates.”

Right out the 365give playbook. The report continues to talk about altruism, how individual well-being is connected to community well-being and that giving is an ongoing activity, not a once a year effort. That one big donation is just not enough to keep your well-being meter and happiness strong. One small give everyday is the answer to ongoing individual and community well-being.

This is similar information the United Nations reports on. Generosity is one of six factors that will effect your happiness and well-being. In the 2017 World happiness Report, generosity is as important if not more important to ensure personal and community happiness.

So are you ready to increase your personal happiness and well-being? It’s simple. Give every day, one small give, to change you and the world. That’s it. How easy is that.

Check out our members gives and start giving every day like them. Increase your wellbeing and happiness, and that of your community. Careful, giving is contagious, and it starts with you!