We\u2019ve all heard it\u2019s more blessed to give than to receive. Probably like you, I take that on faith. But it\u2019s fun to see how research agrees that special benefits come from giving, not just receiving.<\/p>\n\n
Giving has been an important part of Christmas ever since the Three Wise Men presented their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But sometimes it seems like receiving is the main point of the holiday, doesn't it?<\/p>\n
I get it. I like receiving gifts as much as the next person. But if you want to give yourself a real gift, try generosity toward others.<\/p>\n
Like expressing gratitude<\/a>, there\u2019s a lot of research demonstrating that generosity enhances our quality of life. Here are 5 ways generosity gives back to us:<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not just blood pressure. Generosity also lowers the risk of dementia, reduces anxiety and depression, improves chronic pain management, and more. \u201cIf you were somehow able to package this into a compound, you\u2019d be a billionaire overnight,\u201d said Stephen G. Post of Stony Brook University School of Medicine<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<\/li>\n Giving triggers feel-good chemicals like endorphins, dopamine, and oxytocin. And it\u2019s true across cultural and economic lines, too, according to a Harvard Business School study<\/a>. It\u2019s just part of being human.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Generosity lowers our stress.<\/strong> We don\u2019t think of Scrooge as a mellow guy, do we? Here\u2019s why. It turns out being stingy<\/a> can actually raise our stress levels.<\/p>\n After hooking people up to heart monitors, researchers found that when they felt they were giving too little in a transaction it actually drove up their stress. Being generous, on the other hand, kept stress down. It\u2019s like the Golden Rule in action.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Generosity improves our relationships.<\/strong> In a study of generosity and its effect in marriage<\/a>, researchers found that the recipient of generosity expressed high levels of marital satisfaction, but so did the giver.<\/p>\n \u201c[P]articipants\u2019 reports of behaving in a generous fashion toward their spouse were linked to their own reports of marital quality,\u201d said the researchers. \u201cThe extension of generosity toward the spouse was positively related to their own reports of marital satisfaction. . . .\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Generosity extends our lives.<\/strong> All this adds up to longer life-expectancy. In fact, one study of 2,000 people in Marin, California, found volunteering dramatically reduced mortality rates.<\/p>\n \u201cSubjects who volunteered for two or more causes had a 63 percent lower rate of mortality than people who didn't volunteer during the study period,\u201d said one report<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n None of these studies are directly about Christmas, of course. But there\u2019s an important connection in my mind. How so? Thinking about God can actually lead us to be more generous.<\/p>\n\n
Make It a Habit<\/h3>\n