The Benefits of Helping Others

2.  Committed to helping others, Arthur Godsell supports local
individuals both on his own and through The Fresh Air Fund.
Currently, Arthur Godsell is sponsoring and supporting a
child through college while also taking a local man with a
disability shopping every week.
Helping others with any task, from transportation to
housework, reduces mortality by up to nearly 30 percent.
Several studies have shown that individuals who
volunteered over 100 hours a year lived longer than their
non-helping peers, while others found that cholesterol
levels dropped among individuals who helped youth. It is
also a great way of overcoming stress since it often
requires reaching out past one’s comfort zone.

3.  The brain releases higher levels of
dopamine, which is responsible for feelings
of happiness, when individuals help others.
Simply completing five small acts of
kindness a week improves feelings of well-being
and happiness. Volunteering is a
great way of dealing with pain, especially
chronic pain. Average pain ratings often
drop around two points after volunteering
for several months, by showing individuals
the positive effect they have on others.