Serving Others Makes us Happier People
BY: Neighbors’ Consejo|
There are different ways of serving others. You can, for example, do solidarity activities for a day to help someone on the street, a family member, or a friend who needs it. You can visit a person who has no family taking a smile to them, you can carry out collaborative work online, you can give away what you no longer use, you can motivate others to carry out activities for the benefit of others and you can dedicate time to participate in volunteering.
The most basic definition in the dictionary, defines “service” as someone or something that is intended to provide help to those providing assistance to others [1] . Merriam-Webster defines it as “contribution to the welfare of others [2] ”. From this desire to serve, , some vocations emerge that are worth highlighting [3] :
- Helping: Assisting others overcome challenges and work-related problems.
- Sportsmanship: Working without whining or complaining.
- Individual initiative: Doing more than expected or required. Going above or beyond.
- Self-development: Voluntary actions to better oneself in knowledge, skills and abilities, for the sake of others or your organization.
Serving others is so easy, you can do it by following five simple steps: Change your position to be a servant to others, take time to listen, care about others – even when it costs you something -, recognize you might not be the whole solution and allow yourself to be served [4] . Serving others will yield multiple benefits to you, such as good feelings; a sense of belonging; a sense of purpose; helps keep things in perspective; it is contagious; it can help you live longer; it will give you a sense of renewal; boost your self-esteem; create stronger friendships and you can become a glass half-full type person [5] .
According to a study made by the American Psychological Association [6] , people who help others, having an altruistic behavior, are happier and have better physical and mental health. A study by Roy Baumeister at Florida State University [7] found that having strong social connections was important for both happiness and meaningfulness. Which means that it is a mutual benefit, the one who receives and the one who gives help, because you will feel better about yourself.
So, if you already know that serving others brings only benefits, what are you waiting for? Donate, feed the hungry, donate your product, mentor someone, volunteer your services, make service a company mission, take advantage of corporate matching programs [8] , help your family, volunteer at church, donate items to a homeless shelter, send someone an encouraging note, watch someone’s kids, help other people shine, listen, pay it forward and anticipate serving [9] .
References
[1]https://www.yourdictionary.com/service
[2]https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/service?src=search-dict-box
[4]https://experiencemission.org/blog/5-steps-serving-others-well
[5]https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/news/2020/apr/10-benefits-helping-others
[6]https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/bul-bul0000298.pdf
[7]https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/happy_life_different_from_meaningful_life
[8]https://www.inc.com/andrew-thomas/7-ways-to-serve-others-despite-your-busy-schedule.html
[9]https://newspring.cc/articles/10-easy-ways-to-serve-someone-today