Reverse Aging: Getting High on Giving Back
"Kindness is always fashionable." Those are the words of 19th Century novelist Amelia Barr, author of the classic, Remember the Alamo. Volunteering and giving feels terrific. In fact, studies have shown that one's health can improve when actively and personally engaged in helping others, producing a sense of euphoria called the "helper's high." 4
Research reveals that, while volunteering benefits everyone, older individuals are more likely to get the most health benefits. 1 According to one study, when older adults volunteered, they experienced lower rates of depression, even years later. 2 Researchers have also found that when patients with chronic or serious illness volunteer, they receive benefits beyond what can be achieved through medical care. 3
Medical and scientific documentation supports that "volunteering results in a heightened sense of well being, improves insomnia, strengthens the immune system, and hastens surgery recovery time." 4
Here are some tips for giving that will help you age backwards:
Get involved with your local YMCA. As a volunteer, you can lead an exercise class, read to a preschool class, coach a basketball team, cook for a bake sale, design a program brochure, serve as a role model for young people, and so much more. Every hour spent volunteering at the YMCA translates into caring attention a child or teen needs to grow up healthy and resilient.
Support your favorite charity. But first do your homework to find out if the charity you're ready to support is legitimate. Charity Navigator was founded in 2001 to help donors evaluate charities they are interested in supporting. Charity Navigator's team of professional analysts has examined tens of thousands of non-profit financial documents, allowing them to develop an unbiased, objective, numbers-based rating system to assess the financial health of over 5,000 of America's best-known charities. [Food Assistance is a local charity and not large enough to qualify under Charity Navigator requirements. Charity Navigator only list the largest American charities based on financial income.]
Discover "VolunTourism." Many people are electing to combine their vacation time with giving back. VolunTourism combines volunteer opportunities in your chosen destination along with the traditional elements of travel and tourism -- arts, culture, geography, history, and recreation -- while in the destination. Check out VolunTourism.org.
Be a mentor. Merriam-Webster defines the word mentor as a "trusted counselor or guide." This guidance is done, not for personal gain, but for the benefit of the person being mentored and the trickle-down effect. Mentoring can be done in a structured situation through an organization, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, or in a way that is personal to you. Whether you choose to mentor someone at work, in your family, or through an organization, you will reap the benefits of giving. [Food Assistance offers Adopt-a-Senior and be their menator/friend.]
Tailor your giving to your interests. Are you an animal lover? Consider volunteering at your local animal shelter. Perhaps knitting is your expertise. There are many newborn babies who would benefit from a warm, hand-knit cap donated to your local hospital. Maybe the environment is a concern of yours. Why not devote an hour on the weekend to picking up litter? You don't need to be part of an organization to volunteer. The satisfaction comes from within -- knowing what you've done even when nobody else knows.
Find your own "helper's high" by volunteering and reap the health benefits that lead to Aging Backwards.
References
- Corporation for National and Community Service report: The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research - Li and Ferraro, 2006; Van Willigen, 2000.
- http://www.civicventures.org/publications/articles/the_volunteer_factor.cfm.
- Arnstein et al., 2002; Pain Management Nursing, Volume 3(3), 94-103.
- Luks A and Payne P, The Healing Power of Doing Good, 2001, iUniverse.com.
[Ed. note: Jackie Silver is aging backwards. She shares her secrets, tips, and shortcuts on her web site, AgingBackwards.com, in her forthcoming book, on the syndicated TV show, Daytime, on Clear Channel radio's Mix 100.7, and as a sought-after speaker.]
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