You At Your Best

By kAren riCe you At your Best Doing good for others, no matter how big or small the deed, feels good. But did you know it can also benefit your mental health? Volunteering is a great way for individuals to strengthen their communities, but it also can also improve their own overall happiness. A 2020 study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies examined 70,000 participants, each of whom received surveys that asked questions regarding their volunteering habits and mental health. The study found that, when compared to those who did not volunteer, people who had volunteered in the previous 12 months were more satisfied with their lives and gave their overall health higher ratings. The frequency of giving back to one's community also may affect just how much volunteering affects mental health. Study participants who volunteered at least once per month rated their mental health even higher than those who volunteered but did so infrequently. According to Psychology Today, the link between volunteering and lower rates of depression has been well-documented, and there is neural evidence from MRI studies suggesting a link between being generous and signs of happiness in the brain. Here are some ways that being more mindful of others can improve your own mental health. • Be aware of social issues. Read your local newspaper to stay up-to-date on the pulse of your community as well as the world. Educate yourself about current issues that are affecting people from all walks of life. Understanding the needs or plights of others may boost your willingness to get involved with nonprofit organizations. It also may make you more empathetic and compassionate toward other people. • Volunteer at a charity. Find a charitable group with which you can volunteer your time. This is a great way to support a cause you believe in and makes it possible for you to collaborate with others who are like-minded, potentially helping you make new friends. • Learn a new language. Northwest Arkansas is quickly becoming a melting pot that's home to people from many different parts of the world. Learning a new language may facilitate interactions with fellow community members who might not speak English as a first language. • Help someone you know. It's commendable to want to assist a charity or a global cause, but what about people close to you who may need a boost? Whether you're lugging boxes to help a friend move or babysitting a niece or nephew so their parents can enjoy a much-needed night out, when you help someone, those good deeds will return to you in time. Don't know where to start? Volunteer Match will help you and your family find volunteer opportunities in your community, visit www.volunteermatch.org/. Or look for meaningful local volunteer and service opportunities through the VolunteerAR portal: www.volunteerar.org. Are you feeling overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic, all the changes it has made to your life and everything you still need to worry about to stay safe? Or are you feeling negative and cynical, like nothing is going your way? Sure, we all focus on the negative a little, but doing it a lot can lead to depression, which, according to the American Heart Association is also linked to poor heart health, inflammation and even a weaker immune system. Some neuroscience experts think our brains focus on negative information as a way to remember pain so we can avoid it in the future. They call this the "negativity bias." To balance out this natural tendency, we can practice gratitude. It turns out there may be something to the old adage about counting your blessings. Gratitude is a practice that may actually change your perception of well-being, according to experts. "Gratitude is good medicine," says Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis and author of The Little Book of Gratitude. Maintaining an attitude of gratitude can have a host of dramatic and lasting physical, psychological and social benefits, according to Dr. Emmons. In addition to fostering feelings of joy, optimism and compassion, "gratitude lights up parts of the brain's reward pathway and the hypothalamus, which controls the release of hormones that regulate bodily processes," he notes. While not everybody naturally sees the glass as half-full, Emmons said it's possible to cultivate and strengthen a sense of gratitude. Keeping a gratitude journal is a good way to get into the gratitude habit. Start by simply writing these things down before you go to bed. 1 Health: What did your body do for you today? Did you know you take about 8 million breaths a year? Your feet can take you up a mountain; your arms can hold someone you love. Take a minute to marvel at the finely tuned machinery of your body, and thank yourself for the steps you take every day to keep it safe and healthy. 2 Eat: What did you feed your body to nourish yourself today? Was it an old favorite, something you made or something new and different? If you eat three meals a day, you'll eat about a thousand meals this year! Take a minute to savor an especially yummy meal. 3 Activity: What did you do that you really enjoyed today? Did you give it your all when exercising today, or find a quiet moment while sitting in traffic to reflect? Take a minute to think back on one particularly awesome moment. 4 Relationship: Whom do you look forward to connecting with? Is it someone who sets your heart on fire, always has a smile for you, has your back or makes you laugh until you cry? Take a minute to smile as you think about this special person. 5 Time: What are you doing right now? Every single day you wake up with 24 brand new hours. The past is history, the future is a mystery and today is a gift. That's why they call it the present! Take a minute to be thankful for the gift of time. source: www.heart.org Gratitude is good medicine How helping others boosts your mental health sundAY, MAY 30, 2021 | Active Minds - June YOuAtYOuRBest.nWAOnline.cOM | YOu At YOuR Best | 5

• Cover