Happiness is a miracle. The more you give, the more you have. That is what the French writer Madame de Staël (1766-1817) once wrote about happiness. Sharing, being generous, and doing good for others has a positive effect on our thoughts and feelings. Read why.
Gratitude and happiness
One of the great themes in self-healing is gratitude. Because gratitude creates contentment. When you look at everything in your life that is going well or has gone well, positive feelings develop which, if you work on them every day, lead to a positive basic attitude.
Gratitude is an elementary building block in positive psychology. According to research, grateful people tend to be happier, more empathetic, and also more religious in their lives. And gratitude can do much more. Studies show that it not only positively influences the course of illness, but also strengthens our overall mental and physical well-being. Negative feelings such as anger, jealousy, envy, fear, and panic can be mitigated by gratitude.
Generosity
Those who are generous toward others reward themselves. In the truest sense of the word. Generous acts activate the brain's reward system. Using a study from the University of Zurich, behavioral experiments found that prosocial behavior triggers stronger activation in the striatum. This is an area in the center of the brain responsible for evaluation and reward processing. Interestingly, the female brain reacts more strongly to generosity than the male brain.
Altruism
Doing good and passing on love feels good to most people. Whether it is a donation of goods to a food bank, helping the elderly, providing good neighborly services, or being active in the community – these are all activities that are not only valuable but also positively affect self-esteem. It is fulfilling, meaningful, and gives a sense of satisfaction that also carries over to others. Social psychologists confirm this: People who are socially engaged are at peace with themselves, their lives, and their surroundings. The more direct the contact with the person being helped, the greater the satisfaction and self-esteem.
• Would you like to read more about the topic of happiness? Listen now: podcast with happiness coach Sabina Pilguj.
