Youth Trust Counsellor Gilly explains the importance of giving…
Believe it or not, when you give something to others it can have a positive effect on your own mental health and wellbeing. I am not talking about giving expensive gifts or meaningless objects, but instead in offering something much more valuable … your self.
Did you know that by being kind you can improve the function of your immune system?
So, even a small act of kindness can be good for you:
Making time to listen
It may be that you are the first person to help someone feel really heard, valued and understood.
Finding a moment to call or text
It could be you have been meaning to get in touch for some time but just haven’t managed it.
Go on! Why not it a try! You never know what might happen: it might be the start of something new; it could be a rekindling of old ties.
By helping make someone else feel better, you will feel uplifted, too.
Did you know a smile is infectious?
When you smile at someone, nine times out of ten it will be returned
When that connection is created it could last much longer than the smile.
A kind word can lift someone’s day.
Saying ‘thank you’
It takes no time to say these two little words and they could help make someone feel appreciated. This will make you feel happier too and will lift your mood.
If small acts of kindness can do all this, then imagine what bigger acts of kindness might achieve:
- Volunteering
- Spending the day with someone who is lonely or in need
- Offering your skills to help someone else
Large or small; you can make a difference.
Take care and be aware:
The feelgood factor only comes when you give freely and without obligation:
- When you are genuinely able
- When you really have time
- When this is not expected of you
- When you are not doing it just to please others and at the expense of yourself
If it comes from the heart, it works
“If you love life, life will love you back.” Arthur Rubenstein.
