The rewards of volunteering

Behaving altruistically not only feels good, a growing body of research suggests, it actually improves a person's physical and psychological health. "One of the best things we can do for our health is to learn to be more caring and compassionate," says Stephen Post, director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics at Stony Brook University in New York.

The effects of altruistic behavior on mental health have been fairly well documented. "Happiness is a byproduct of living generously," Post says.

Volunteering has also been shown to have a positive effect on people's mental state, particularly as they age. Volunteerism serves as a way to keep older adults active in the community and prevents them from becoming socially isolated. It's thought that volunteerism also enhances older adults' sense of belonging, increases their sense of purpose and improves their perception of their own self-competence.

Teens aren't immune to the mood-enhancing effects of altruistic behavior. A study published in the Journal of Research in Personality in 2008 showed that students who engage in virtue-building activities such as volunteering report being happier than their more hedonistic counterparts. Pleasure-seeking behavior, such as drinking alcohol, had no effect on happiness whatsoever.


The positive effects of giving behavior appear to extend beyond a person's state of mind to their physical health. People that help others live longer than those who don't. The specific mechanisms by which altruistic behavior translates into better health are not yet well understood. Experts speculate that acting in a warm, compassionate way affects certain hormones and chemicals in the body.