Hello! I want to let you in on why I think helping others can help you on your journey to greater happiness, well-being and personal growth.
I have worked in the field of helping others for almost fifty years.
Before that, I simply liked to help and did whatever I could. I am retired now, but I still like to help. That’s why my partners and I are doing this website – we love to help.
And I really don’t believe in retirement. I’m actually studying to be a highly trained counselor as well as working on this website! A big creation for the next phase of my life and learning even more ways of helping.
An Unexpected Shortcut to Feeling Happier
What I have noticed is that when I help someone, I get happier. I don’t do it for that reason, but it definitely is a welcome side effect.
I might be having a bad day or feeling a bit grumpy about this or that, but if someone calls me needing help, or if I happen to run into someone who needs help, I instantly forget my problems and feel much better.
If you do that a lot, you can count on being pretty happy!
“If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone.”
– Chinese Proverb
There are plenty of personal benefits from helping others…
1. Helping others keeps you interested in life
If you are busy helping other people, you are likely not to be bored.
2. Helping others keeps you young
You feel alive when you have a purpose.
3. Helping others boosts your mood
Engaging in altruistic activities can lead to reduced stress and lower rates of depression.
4. Helping others reduces loneliness (as well as encouraging stronger social connections)
It fosters social interactions and builds a sense of community, which can combat feelings of loneliness and isolation.
5. Helping others doesn’t require a big investment, or stress
You can do something that gives you joy, that will most likely give others joy.
If you love to cook or bake, how about surprising someone with a nice meal or treat? You might like to go to a nursing home and read to someone whose sight is failing.
Or you could go to the local library and read to children. Maybe a neighbor has small kids and she would appreciate a short break in the afternoon.
How about making a phone call, sending a card, noticing someone’s nice outfit and saying so, showing interest in something someone is doing.
Just noticing someone and acknowledging them can help. Giving a bit of encouragement. Offering to take someone along when you go grocery shopping. Taking a walk with a friend. Helping a child with their homework.
It is amazing what a small act of kindness can do.
I used to travel a lot for my work as a consultant. One time when I was on a flight, there was a screaming baby up a few rows on the opposite side of the aisle. The woman – who was holding her (turns out she was the grandmother) looked exhausted, and the child was squirming and practically hanging upside down.
What I first noticed was a really nasty-looking runny nose. I had a little packet of tissues in my purse which I offered to grandma, which she gratefully accepted.
The nose was handled, but the screaming was not. Since I knew what to do, I told the woman I was a counselor and offered to help her with the child. She practically threw the child at me! I took the baby and simply directed her attention to the environment. I’d show her something and ask her to look at it and then I acknowledged her.
She calmed right down and shortly fell asleep on my chest and slept peacefully for the rest of the flight. Even though I got drooled, on, I couldn’t help being happy for the baby and the grandma. When you are a mother, you get used to things like drool. At the end of the flight, I handed the baby back over to the grateful grandmother. And then came the unexpected surprise: I don’t know how many – but it was many – other passengers thanked me! A very nice bonus.
6. Helping others can make you smarter
I generally learn something from my encounters with others, so I get smarter and more aware each time I help someone. Assisting others can provide new perspectives and experiences, contributing to personal development and a broader understanding of the world.
7. Increased self-esteem and confidence
Acts of kindness can boost self-esteem and provide a sense of purpose, leading to greater life satisfaction.
8. Helping others can help your reputation
I think that people who help others are considered trustworthy and dependable, and are generally thought of as good people. Having that kind of reputation might help you land a job or win you a position of trust.
9. Improved physical health
Volunteering and helping others have been linked to better physical health outcomes, including lower blood pressure and increased longevity.
10. Helping others is fun
That’s my opinion. I think it’s fun to surprise someone with a little treat. I love making healthy treats and giving them to my friends. They always get happy when they get a treat, and in my opinion, making someone happy is help.
In the End, We Rise by Lifting Others
Helping others isn’t just a nice thing to do—it’s one of the most powerful and joyful ways to live. It connects us, strengthens us, teaches us, and reminds us that we all matter. Whether it’s a small gesture or a big effort, each act of kindness creates a ripple effect that reaches far beyond what we can see. And it’s a happiness formula that we can all use and benefit from.
So if you’re looking to boost your happiness, purpose, or connection in your life, start with a simple act of help. You don’t need to be an expert or wait for the perfect moment—just notice someone who could use a hand, a smile, or a kind word, and show up.
After all, helping others may be one of the best ways to help yourself.
And if you’re anything like me, you just might find that the more you give, the more life gives back.
Let’s keep helping. It makes life better—for everyone.
