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title: Helping others makes us feel good
created: 2025-12-02T06:22:05
modified: 2025-12-02T07:51:40
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> _“Nothing makes one feel so strong as a call for help.” — Pope Paul VI_

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[@luksHealingPowerDoing2001]

> Source: <http://www.melbabenson.com/articles_files/Healing%20Power%20of%20Doing%20Good.pdf>

1. Helping others contributes to the maintenance of good health and can diminish the effect of minor and serious psychological and physical diseases and disorders.
2. The rush of euphoria often referred to as a **“helper’s high”** after performing a [kind act](kindness.md) involves physical sensations and the release of the body’s natural painkillers, the endorphins. The initial rush is followed by a longer period of calm and improved emotional well-being.
3. The health benefits and sense of well-being return for hours or even days whenever the helping act is remembered.
4. Stress related health problems improve after performing kind acts. Helping others:
	* Reverses feelings of depression.
	* Supplies social contact.
	* Reduces feelings of hostility and isolation that can cause stress, overeating, ulcers, etc.
	* Decreases the constriction in the lungs that leads to asthma attacks.
5. Helping can enhance feelings of joyfulness, emotional resilience, and vigor, and can reduce the unhealthy sense of isolation.
6. The awareness and intensity of physical pain can decrease.
7. Attitudes such as chronic hostility that negatively arouse and damage the body are reduced.
8. A sense of self-worth, greater happiness, and optimism is increased, and feelings of
helplessness and depression decrease.
9. When we establish an “affiliative connection” with someone (a relationship of friendship, love, or some sort of positive bonding), we feel emotions that can strengthen the immune system.
10. Caring for strangers leads to immense immune and healing benefits.
11. Regular club attendance, volunteering, entertaining, or faith group attendance is the happiness equivalent of getting a college degree, or more than doubling your income.

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Building connections with people is also about lending them a hand. This cuts both ways; not only do <mark>we too rarely help others, we also too rarely ask for help.</mark>

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[The Ben Franklin Effect](the-ben-franklin-effect.md)