mentalhealthfoundation
@mentalhealth
@mentalhealthfoundation
Registered Charity No. England 801130 Scotland SC039714. Company Registration No. 2350846.
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www.mentalhealth.org.uk
Mental Health Foundation, Colechurch House,
1 London Bridge Walk, London SE1 2SX
Research shows that helping others can be beneficial to
our own mental health. It can reduce stress, improve our
emotional wellbeing and even benefit our physical health.
Today, why not take action within your schools, workplaces and
local neighbourhoods to help people and communities thrive? It’s so
important to look after each other within our communities. This is how
we protect and sustain good mental health for all.
What are the benefits?
1. Helping others feels good
When you help others, it promotes
positive physiological changes in the
brain associated with happiness.
Helping others improves social support,
encourages us to lead a more physically
active lifestyle, distracts us from our
own problems, allows us to engage in a
meaningful activity and improves our
self-esteem.
2. It brings a sense of belonging and
reduces isolation
Being a part of a social network leads
to a feeling of belonging. Face-to-face
activities such as volunteering at a drop-
in centre can help reduce loneliness and
isolation.
3. It helps to keep things in perspective
Helping others in need, especially those
who are less fortunate than yourself,
can provide a real sense of perspective
and make you realise how lucky you are,
helping you to achieve a more positive
outlook on things that may be causing
you stress.
4. It helps make the world a happier
place – it’s contagious!
Acts of kindness have the potential to
make the world a happier place. It can
also encourage others to repeat the
good deed that they’ve experienced
themselves – it contributes to a more
positive community.
5. The more you do for others, the more
you do for yourself
Evidence shows that the benefits of
helping others can last long after the act
itself by providing a ‘kindness bank’ of
memories that can be drawn upon in the
future.
Physical health benefits
1. It reduces stress
Positive emotions reduce stress and
boost our immune system, and in turn
can protect us against disease.
2. It helps get rid of negative feelings
Negative emotions such as anger,
aggression or hostility have a negative
impact on our mind and body. Engaging
in random acts of kindness can help
decrease these feelings and stabilise our
overall health.
3. It can help us live longer
Giving and helping others may increase
how long we live. Studies of older people
show that those who give support to
others live longer than those who don’t.
Turn the page for 50
random acts of kindness.
