"The art of being helpful is behaving as if everything we do matters -
because we never know which ones might."
Gloria Steinem
because we never know which ones might."
Gloria Steinem
I like to check in with my massage therapy clients, find out what's going on with them at work, in their relationships, with their kids (if they want to share).
One of my clients told me about an inspirational conference she attended where the keynote speaker told the audience that if they have the ability to help and share their knowledge, they should.
Her enthusiasm inspired me and I reached out to support a colleague who is bouncing through a rough patch. We've been meeting for coaching sessions for the last month and she's grateful for the help.
I'm grateful, too.
Helping feels good. It's one of the paths to happiness listed in Sonja Lyubormirsky's great book, The How of Happiness.
However, people can often feel self-conscious about asking for help and then accepting it from others. But accepting help can be as much of a gift for the giver as it is for the receiver. One research study showed higher levels of the "love hormone," oxytocin, in people who are very generous toward others. Other studies have shown the "helper's high" lights up the same reward centers of the brain as other feel-good activities, like eating good food.
The next time you resist accepting help from others, perhaps because you believe that you're imposing or asking too much, think about how saying yes can bring big benefits, not just to you but to your altruistic friend, as well.
Photo by Chungkuk Bae on Unsplash
One of my clients told me about an inspirational conference she attended where the keynote speaker told the audience that if they have the ability to help and share their knowledge, they should.
Her enthusiasm inspired me and I reached out to support a colleague who is bouncing through a rough patch. We've been meeting for coaching sessions for the last month and she's grateful for the help.
I'm grateful, too.
Helping feels good. It's one of the paths to happiness listed in Sonja Lyubormirsky's great book, The How of Happiness.
However, people can often feel self-conscious about asking for help and then accepting it from others. But accepting help can be as much of a gift for the giver as it is for the receiver. One research study showed higher levels of the "love hormone," oxytocin, in people who are very generous toward others. Other studies have shown the "helper's high" lights up the same reward centers of the brain as other feel-good activities, like eating good food.
The next time you resist accepting help from others, perhaps because you believe that you're imposing or asking too much, think about how saying yes can bring big benefits, not just to you but to your altruistic friend, as well.
Photo by Chungkuk Bae on Unsplash
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