Why Giving is Good for Our Health

With the spirit of giving over the Christmas period in full flight, today we take a look at why gifting to others is good for us, and what effects it has on our physical and mental health.

Giving Can Be Good for Stress Relief 

Numerous studies have shown that regardless of whether you are the giver or the receiver, gifting can assist in lowering your blood pressure and relieving stress. Some scientists believe that ‘happy’ neurotransmitters like endorphins are released in both parties when an individual goes out of their way to give of themselves to others in need.

Giving Can Elevate Your Mood 

Whether your gift is homemade or worth a pretty penny, offering something you have to someone else who needs it is going to make you feel good about yourself. The old saying ‘It’s the thought that counts’ isn’t too far wrong either, paying homage to the fact that despite the size or expense behind a gift, the receivers mood can be lifted due to the intention and gesture behind the present itself.

Non-Material Gifts Can Make a Difference 

Giving the gift of your time or resources can be good for your health, and also the health of many others. Consider spending some time over the holidays helping out in Women’s or homeless shelter, or in kitchens designed to help feed those less fortunate over the Christmas holidays. The time you’ll spend will keep you on your toes, help you gain a greater level of gratitude for your circumstances, and offer a helping hand to those who desperately need it.

Being Generous is Fantastic for Your Self-Esteem 

A 2006 study published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology purported to prove that people who gave of their time as well as those who gifted material presents had a fuller sense of self-worth than those who didn’t, and suffered less with mental health issues such as depression than those who did not.

Gifting Creates a Cycle of Gifting                      

Giving is contagious. Generosity creates a feeling of ‘warmth’ in both the giver and the recipient, and so encourages both parties to continue the behaviour that makes them feel good. A movement of ‘paying it forward’ is thus created, and this kind of generosity contributes to the greater good of the immediate community.

While many of us turn our focus to our physical health and weight control this Christmas period, there are many other elements to our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing to take note of during the season of giving.

If you would like to give the perfect gift to someone you care about this Christmas, check out our extensive range of natural products that will sure to make both you and your loved one smile.