Give Unselfishly, To Live Long
Give Unselfishly, To Live Long https://bodywhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Volunteer-01-1024x682.jpg 1024 682 BodyWHealth https://bodywhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Volunteer-01-1024x682.jpgWhen you give to others, especially your time and expertise, you will probably live longer, BUT only if your motives are right.
A landmark study, performed by scientists from the University of Michigan, showed that volunteering in the service of others reduced the risk of death by about 30% in the specific population they studied. More than this, the benefit may be related to the amount of time you volunteer – those who gave more time lived longer.
BUT, it appears that your motive for volunteering is critical. In the study, those who volunteered for unselfish reasons reduced their risk of death. While those who volunteered for selfish reasons actually increased their risk of death (they shortened their lives)! To some extent, the latter may have been the result of other influences in the study, but the difference between these two groups remained even after accounting for these factors.
The study showed decisively that volunteering unselfishly in the service of others is good for your health – reducing the risk of death and prolonging life.
Wow! Give to live! I like it.
Roddy
The study was published in the journal Health Psychology, the official journal of the American Psychology Association.
