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The Secret to Being Part of Something Bigger.
We humans are a social bunch. We’re not unique in this, most organisms on the planet need some social engagement to survive. For us, social interaction is integral to our mental health, even if it’s not essential for surviving in the wild. Being involved is good for us. Interestingly, how and why we get involved impacts the benefits we get in terms of our health and wellbeing.
Cooperative social behaviours result in hormonal and chemical changes in our bodies. Increases in serotonin, oxytocin, and tryptophan cause us to be more or less cooperative and open too. More studies about the neuroscience behind human behaviour would shed further light on why and how social interaction is so important for our mental health. What we know already is that being connected and sharing in a cause that is important to you and others, supports better health outcomes both immediately and later in life.
Volunteering, activism, community involvement and health
From living longer to being fitter and happier, volunteering is great for mind and body. We’ve known this for years. Numerous studies back it up.
Most research has focussed on older groups — the people in their 40’s or older. Yet, ages of all kinds can volunteer and reap the rewards of committing time and energy to a…
