London - The stresses and strains of daily life sometimes get too much for all of us.
But it appears there is a simple way to make ourselves feel better – by being a Good Samaritan.
A study by Yale University found that actively helping others eases our own stresses and worries. Even simple gestures such as holding the door open or helping with directions can improve our mood.
The US researchers asked 77 adults aged 18-44 to record their feelings and experiences over two weeks. The participants wrote down every stressful event and also noted if they had helped anyone.
At the end of the day, they completed a survey on how positive or negative their mood was.
The results, in the journal Clinical Psychological Science, found that the more times participants helped someone, the more positive they felt at the end of the day, and the better their overall health.
It also found that those who helped others more dealt better with stress in everyday life.
Psychologist and study author Emily Ansell said: “Our findings suggest that if we do small things for others, such as holding a door open for someone…we won’t feel as poorly on stressful days.”
Daily Mail