There are many reasons how helping others can help you.
This is something we have been told most of our lives, but in the majority of cases, we just pass this off as a way for people to persuade us to do good things.
However, there are some real, tangible benefits that come from helping others in need, and we are going to discuss a few of the most notable here with you today.
When it comes to the question of how does serving others help you, the most common answers you will get are “it benefits your soul” or “it’s just good for you”.
While these answers may be simple and easy to remember, they offer very little in terms of substance.
Like we said previously, there are a plethora of answers to how serving others helps you, but “enhancing your spiritual energy” is not one of them.
No, we intend to give you practical answers to the question of how does helping others help you, and by the end, we can guarantee that you will at least be a little more inclined to help people in need.
It has to be said; there is something to just giving out of generosity and not expecting anything in return.
Everyone should aspire to be like this, and there is no doubt that a world full of people like this would be a much better place.
However, life is complicated.
While it would be better for people to want to give for nothing in return, we would argue that the reasoning doesn’t matter; as long as someone is doing something good, why does it matter why they do it?
With that being said, let’s take a look at how helping others can help you.
Gives You Purpose
One of the main reasons why helping others can help you is because it can give you a sense of purpose.
Meaning is at an all-time low in our world, and many men and women seem to be lost searching for what their true mission in life is.
Well, helping others may just be the solution for all of said lost souls.
Helping others can give you purpose in a world where meaning is incredibly hard to come by, and this can impact your life in so many ways.
On top of just being happier in general, people who have meaning in their lives tend to be more satisfied, experience less stress and fear, and have better relationships with those around them.
You would be surprised at how something as small as giving some spare change to a homeless person will make you feel like you are changing the world for the better.
Moreover, the more you give, the more you get.
If you choose to donate blood, volunteer at food shelters, and donate to charities, we can guarantee you that you will feel like you have an important role to play in this world.
The most difficult part about all of this is simply getting started. Instead of googling inspirational quotes about helping others, why not just get out and do it?
Start small and do what you can, and as you grow in confidence, you can begin to support your community more and more.
The Butterfly Effect
The second reason we have for how helping others can help you is that it can bring more positive experiences and people in your life.
You may have heard of a little thing called the butterfly effect.
This is a phenomenon which dictates even the smallest changes can have a huge impact on the world, and it has become the talking point for almost every spiritual guru on this planet.
The butterfly effect now has somewhat of a negative reputation among people because of its spiritual ties; so let’s just scrap the spiritual part altogether.
The butterfly effect is quite logical when used in the right way.
To give an example; perhaps you meet your future wife when you are volunteering at a food bank.
Alternatively, you could meet a new group of friends who you cherish for the rest of your life from a small charity event.
By doing good things, you are more likely to come in contact with other good people.
Having more good people in your life is always a good thing, and when people see you doing your part to make the world better, they will naturally warm towards you.
It’s also worth noting that people often want to do good things for good people.
Whether it be someone in need showing their appreciation or a surprise from your friends or family, more good things will happen to you once you begin helping others.
How To Help
Now that we know why helping others is so beneficial, the logical response would be “so, how can I help others?”.
This is a good question; without taking action, all of your time will have been wasted.
The best advice we have for you is to start with what you are comfortable with and are able to do.
If this just means giving a homeless person a little change whenever you go by or donating £5 to a charity of your choice, this is completely fine.
This also applies to those around you and the people you love.
Something as simple as surprising someone with a small gift or telling someone how much you care about them when they are going through a tough time can make the world of difference.
Everybody has to start somewhere.
As you grow in confidence, you will naturally want to do more to help others.
From here, you can volunteer at homeless shelters, give blood, or even start your own projects to help people (this is, in part, why MovingForwards was founded).
If you would like more ideas, feel free to check out this article listing the top 50 ways to help others.
There are endless options when it comes to helping other people, and you are certainly not going to exhaust your options anytime soon.
You could even get creative and do something entirely unique; the world truly is your oyster.
How Helping Others Can Help You – FAQs
What Are The Best Ways To Help Other People?
The best ways to help other people are through donating to charities, getting involved in local communities, volunteering to give blood or to work at a homeless shelter, and being kind to those around you.
How Does Helping Others Help You?
Helping others can help you by giving you a sense of purpose, increasing life satisfaction, and allowing you to meet other positive people.
What Are The Benefits Of Helping Others?
The benefits of helping others are increasing happiness and life satisfaction, giving meaning to one’s life, and getting to be around other positive people.
We hope this article will be of use to you.
There are a plethora of reasons why helping others can benefit you, and you are undoubtedly going to see a net positive effect in your life if you begin trying to serve others.
Unfortunately, this is a lesson that most people learn too late in life.
The vast majority of people go through most of their lives without realising who they are actually helping when they help other people.
Whether it be through giving you purpose, increasing happiness, or bringing more positive people and experiences into your life, helping others helps both you and the recipient of your aid.
If you would like to find out more ways to help other people or would just like more life advice to better yourself, make sure to check out our other articles on MovingForwards to see if there is anything that can help you.
