The Science of Helping Out
The Science of Helping Out
The New York Times article "The Science of Helping Out" by Tara Parker-Pope, highlights the psychology of anxiety and stress, and the importance helping others and volunteering can have in your own life during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Helping others and having a strong sense of purpose can have lasting impacts on our health and the way we manage stressful situations. The author cites various scientific research studies showing that giving to others can play an important role in improving our emotional and physical well being, and in turn we can live longer healthier lives. In addition, research shows that when we feel a strong obligation to help others we are better able to handle whatever life throws our way. People less likely to help others often struggle coping with stressful life events.
As a caregiver with Right at Home of Eugene, I really related to this article because it reminded me of why I became a caregiver and the sense of gratitude I feel when I help others. I had this thought that if people were more educated on the benefits of generosity they would be more inclined to do a good deed for someone without expecting something in return. Simply giving someone advice can have many benefits, for the person giving the information and the person receiving it. When we help talk someone through a rough time we also learn valuable new skills to deal with our own struggles in life.
While reading this article I asked myself, what do we do now during the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing rules are in place? We might not be able to support others the way we would like or the way we used too. We have yet to see what the actual impact is going to be on volunteerism as well as other areas of society. The world may never be the same again, so we should start to find other ways to connect with one another. Times can be very difficult for everyone right now and some may feel as though they’ve lost their purpose during this crisis. Just know that small acts of kindness can sometimes make all the difference to our mood, anxiety and psychology, not just in ourselves but for those who need it most.
