The ObservatorySeven minutes: a contribution that becomes yours
Find a small way to do good for someone, one you choose yourself, that fits your energy and where you get to see that it arrived
How it works
- What you already giveList
- What makes it feel goodChoose
- A small contributionWrite
You already contribute, probably more often than you count. Think of the last few weeks: something you did for someone else, big or small.
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Why does it work?
In an overview of research on helping others (giving, volunteering and sharing), framed by self-determination theory, Aknin and Whillans describe how helping more often gives the helper positive feelings when the help is self-chosen, when they see what difference it makes, and when they feel capable. The overview builds on studies with different designs, mostly short measurements, and effects vary between people and situations. So studies suggest that the three things matter, but it is not proven that helping always gives the helper something back. Source: Aknin & Whillans, Helping and happiness: A review and guide for public policy, Social Issues and Policy Review (published online 2020), DOI 10.1111/sipr.12069.
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