Sangha of Auspicious Companions

Why Doing Good Also Makes Us Feel Good, During the Holidays and Beyond

It’s that time of year when giving and volunteering surge in food banks and other charities. Amrisha Vaish, a developmental psychologist said, “Nearly all cultures have events or public festivals that allow people to express gratitude” Gratitude and generosity seem to go hand in hand, especially at holiday times. Gratefulness motivates us to do good things for others. Vaish said, “In human evolutionary history over hundreds of thousands of years, we’ve had to become cooperative in order to work together and survive as a species.” On an individual level, “giving, volunteering and generosity have the ability to increase our sense of meaning and purpose in life,” said Jenae Nelson, another developmental psychologist. “There’s a quick dopamine hit sometimes called the ‘helpers high.’ But there’s also that deeper reward of helping us to establish purpose and meaning.”

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