Helping Others to Help Yourself

Helping others is something all of us should be doing as our way of giving back to our community. There are so many people who already do this and yet there are others who will have no part of it, as they feel that their lives are busy enough as it is without adding in any other activities. They are the unfortunate ones because they do not realize what they are missing out on. Here we will look at some ways that you can help others, that perhaps you have not thought of already and we'll discuss the benefits that you might receive from these activities as well.

By volunteering and helping others, many are surprised to see how much better it makes them feel about their lives as well. So it actually is a win-win situation as those you help benefit and so do you. What more could you want than that?

Let's look at some suggestions of ways that you can be helping others in your life;

1. Visiting Nursing Homes - if you have some spare time you could offer to visit with the residents of nursing homes as they often do not have visitors on a daily basis for all of the residents. If you happen to have a musical or other talent, perhaps you could offer to perform for the residents and provide them with some entertainment. They will be very appreciative for this.

2. Hold the Door For Someone - it really bothers me when the person in front of me just let's the door swing back into my face. It is so rude to do that and yet so simple to hold it for a few seconds longer to at least acknowledge that I exist. This is such a simple gesture that can have far reaching effects as in making someone's day so much better.

3. Let Someone Go In front of you in line - Especially if you are buying a lot of items and the person has only a few in their hand it is a thoughtful gesture for you to offer them to jump in front of you in the checkout line. I've had people turn me down sometimes when I've made this offer but it still made me feel good about myself, and it will do the same for you.

4. Mentor an At-risk Child or Teen - there are many children who do not have the stability or support they need in their home environment and you can be the difference that child needs in order to succeed in life. Search for local organizations who need mentors and sign up. You will not believe how rewarding this can be, both for the student, and for you.

5. Shopping Cart Corrals - return your shopping cart to the area meant to secure them rather than leaving it next to your car. You will be helping the cart collector in a huge way and although they may not see you do it, know that they appreciate the effort you took to do this.

6. Thank someone who made a difference in your life - you could call or email or actually write a snail mail letter to this person letting them know the positive impact that they have had in your life. You will make their day and I'm pretty sure it will make you feel good too.

7. Pick up Trash - forget about who dropped the item on the floor, just pick it up and dispose of it properly and move on knowing that you played your small part in cleaning up your community.

These seven ways of helping others are things you do without any expectation of a reward, however, it hs been proven that by helping others we actually help ourselves in many ways that can be significant, such as depression, stress, anxiety and panic reduction. All of these conditions are improved by taking the focus off ourselves and helping others so get out there today and every day that you can and make the world a better place.