Updated: Jan 18
This video talks about research about how doing good deeds affects mental and physical health.
Kindness may improve physical health. A study done at the University of Texas, Austin, found that the general cognitive decline associated with aging was lower by 15%-20% for older adults who reported either formally volunteering or informally helping their families, friends, or neighbors.
Social bonds and support networks matter. Helping others often involves interacting with people and forming social ties. Strong social connections are associated with reduced loneliness, better mental health, and a lower likelihood of chronic illness. Another review of multiple studies, published in 2007, similarly showed that helping others has both emotional and physical health benefits.
Doing acts of kindness helps us even more at times when we are struggling. A study randomly assigned people to spend either 30 minutes on themselves or 30 minutes on others for a day. They found that spending those 30 minutes on someone else showed more health benefits. In fact, people who were more overwhelmed or stressed out got more benefit to their mental wellbeing when they spent 30 minutes on someone else.
Acts of giving — small or large — can add up. A study published in 2022 by Professor Ashley Whillans and her team showed that prosocial spending, like giving financial donations or buying gifts for others, increases a person’s level of happiness. In the video discussion, she emphasizes that you don’t need grand gestures: small acts of kindness and regular generosity (time, emotional support, small favors) can still yield meaningful long-term benefits.
