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Nice People Are Happy People

Madeline Morris |
October 5, 2013 | 4:41 p.m. PDT

Health and Fitness Editor

Be kind--it makes the world go round--and makes YOU happier (cincomom.com)
Be kind--it makes the world go round--and makes YOU happier (cincomom.com)

Today, Saturday Oct. 5, is Do Something Nice Day. Hopefully, you're already doing at least one nice thing for someone else everyday. But realistically, life gets busy and some days, simply keeping yourself intact can be difficult enough, right? 

Wrong. The most critical days to reach out to others are the days when you think you don't have time to help someone, or you're in such a funk that even smiling feels impossible. This is because helping others is proven to actually make yourself happier! Pulling yourself out of the dumps can be as easy as paying for the person behind you in the grocery line, doling out genuine compliments or retweeting somebody. 

Those who look for ways to help others are not only happier but also healthier and more successful. We all know that positive thinking is essential for a happy and healthy life. Doing nice things for other people fills your brain with positive emotions---it's akin to taking a yoga class or melting into a warm bath.  

To enhance your own life, the optimum time to dedicate to helping others is 100 hours per year--that's two hours per week. Adam Grant, author of "Give and Take," says this is the "magical number of giving" that allows you to give your time to others while still taking care of yourself and remaining stress-free. 

In his book "Give and Take," Grant recommends doing all your giving one day a week. As he puts it, "chunking beats sprinking." Chunkers achieve more gains in happiness than those who perform nice acts randomly throughout the week. 

Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of "The How of Happiness: A New Approach To Getting the Life You Want," ventures that this is because spreading acts of kindness over the course of a week may have "diminished salience and power" or "made them less distinguishable from participants' habitual kind of behavior." 

Lyubomirsky surmises that it is the "selfless givers" who tend to sprinkle their giving throughout their days. Though this sounds benign, it can become very distracting and tiring for the selfless givers. It will eventually rob them of the time and energy they need to complete their own tasks.

So, moral of the story: To maximize your own happiness and wellness, it is best to choose one day a week in which you perform kind deeds for others. Two hours is the recommended dose of benevolence in a week. 

Before you go off to pepper the world with kindness, you should take note of one grave mistake that could hinder your efforts. Psychologists Netta Weinstein and Richard Ryan determined that giving has an energizing effect only if it comes from a place of sincerity. Self-serving acts performed out of duty definitely will not leave you in gleeful spirits. 

If you fear that your favors, though they may be well-intentioned, still feel a little forced, start by expressing love and affection for people you are close to, including your partner, family, friends or neighbors. You're sure to feel the connection, and your  physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being will thank you for it. Altruism and relationships go hand-in-hand, playing a major role in keeping us healthy and happy.  

Do Something Nice Day is the perfect opportunity you didn't know you were waiting for! Get out there and spread the love. You will be shocked by how much helping others ends up helping yourself. 

Reach Health and Fitness Editor Madeline Morris here or follow her on Twitter here.


 

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