In What Ways Does Helping Others Benefit Us?

Since we are little, the adults around us try to instill in us values ​​such as generosity, solidarity and empathy. They remind us of the importance of helping others, approaching it from the prism of altruism.

The reality is that it has been shown that there are hardly any completely disinterested acts, since favoring the other always brings us benefits of some kind.

This, far from giving us a selfish vision of the human being, confirms that prosocial behaviors are beneficial both for the recipient and for those who emit them.

How does helping others benefit us?

Improve self-esteem

When we perform an action beneficial to others, we feel better about ourselves. This satisfaction comes from the certainty that we are acting in the right way. The image that each one maintains of himself becomes more positive, since he can consider himself a good and generous person.

But, in addition, when this happens we feel more useful. Knowing that we are necessary, that we can contribute to the well-being and happiness of the other makes us feel important and valuable. All the positive attributes that emerge from a solidarity action contribute to reinforcing our self-esteem.

Strengthen our ties

Having a quality social support network is truly beneficial for our health, both physical and emotional. Social support acts as a buffer against stress and helps us put in place better coping strategies, making recovery from illness faster.

Well, by helping others, we are strengthening the emotional ties that bind us to them. When we do a person a favor, they feel protected, valuable, and appreciated. Consequently, you will express your gratitude to us with words or gestures, which will provide us with a pleasant feeling of satisfaction.

In this way, a cycle of positive exchanges is forged between both people that favors the happiness of both. By helping others, we are helping our relationships to be based on reciprocity, trust, and gratitude. Thus, having social ties of this nature will have a great impact on our well-being.

Awaken gratitude

Helping others helps us to witness different realities and become aware of all the good that surrounds us. It motivates us to give thanks for finding ourselves in the position of someone who can help instead of someone who needs to be helped. This favors the development of positive thinking and removes the complaint, prevents our attention from being trapped in what we lack.

Lamenting for what we lack, focusing on what does not work damages our mood. On the contrary, recognizing and being grateful for the positive aspects of our existence helps us to enhance optimism. By acting on behalf of others we open our eyes to the beauty of life and put humility into practice.

Boost the feeling of belonging

The feeling of belonging is one of the main needs of every human being on the path to personal fulfillment. When we give, we transcend. We feel part of something bigger: of a relationship, of a society, of humanity. ..

Helping ignites connections, brings us closer to others and makes us feel that we are part of a common project. The feeling of unity that comes from investing your energy in others is beneficial to both parties.

Helping others after helping yourself

In some way, helping others also reminds us that we are people who need others. On the contrary, we sometimes make the mistake of being extremely helpful to others, neglecting our own needs. The golden rule says that in order to love, you must first love yourself, to be able to help, you must first help yourself: no one can give what they do not have.

When you give yourself to others without having taken care of yourself, you run the risk of being left empty, flooded with nothingness. In this same line, it is easy to confuse generosity with need: I help you so that you love me, so that you need me, so that you do not leave my side. This attitude is unhealthy and harmful to both people and to the bond.

Therefore, when you give (love, support, understanding…), do it because you have enough, not because you lack. And don’t forget that reciprocity is an important part of social relationships. You too deserve support, help, listening and understanding.