In my RN Senior Care consulting practice, lots of time is spent advising clients about the importance of self-care. Self-care must be a non-negotiable aspect of our lives, regardless of our situation. “Self-care is never selfish,” may become an overused cliché, but that’s only because it’s so undeniably true.

Most conversations about self-care focus on the obvious – moving and strengthening your body, eating properly, getting enough sleep, managing stress, and taking care of your mental health. All of these things are critically important, for sure.

Altruism – Important to Well-Being

There is another element of self-care that’s much less obvious, but that might be more impactful to our overall well-being than any of the elements mentioned above – and that is altruism.

More specifically, selflessly helping others without expecting anything in return has been scientifically shown to provide numerous health, and wellness benefits, so much so that many life coaches, health and wellness gurus, and even employers are now extolling its virtues. Furthermore, many are providing opportunities for clients, patients, and employees to participate.

Simply put, altruism has become a thing, and justifiably so.

Benefits of an Altruistic Focus

It may come across as ironic, even counterintuitive, that the best way to help ourselves may be to help others. But science has shown altruistic endeavors may improve one’s confidence, happiness, optimism, and sense of control – and help us live longer more fulfilling lives. Are you looking to better yourself? The answer may lie in helping others to get better.

The self-impacting benefit of altruism applies to people of all ages, but I’ve observed it most obvious in those of us getting up in years. Many older adults struggle with isolation, perhaps due to the death of a loved one, children growing up, or withdrawal from social and working life. Devoting time and effort to helping others can work wonders for such people. This is something I’ve seen over and over again.

The following are just a few self-care benefits that an altruistic focus can provide.

Improved Mental Health

Numerous studies have been performed on the mental health impact of altruism, and the results almost universally show a strong connection between the amount of effort an individual spends volunteering and otherwise helping others and their personal level of happiness. In fact, there is strong evidence to suggest that helping others can promote real, measurable physiological changes in the brain that are linked with happiness and well-being.

Improved Support Networks

Helping others can improve our support networks and encourage us to be more active, which, in turn, improves our self-esteem. It can help us feel a sense of belonging, make new friends, and connect with our community. All of these things are known to benefit mental health.

Helping others, especially those less fortunate, also helps us keep things in perspective and therefore feel more positive about our own lives. It forces us to recognize and be grateful for what we have, thereby increasing feelings of optimism and satisfaction, a condition that has come to be called “helper’s high”.

These impacts are especially apparent in older adults who often struggle with maintaining a support network and beneficial social connections as they age. Volunteering can provide them with much of this and oftentimes makes all the difference in an older person’s life.

Improved Physical Health

While the connection between altruism and improved mental health is quite intuitive, the connection between altruism and improved physical health is less so.  However, there’s a growing body of research that strongly links the two together.

Volunteering has been shown to release dopamine in the brain, which increases positive, relaxed feelings and decreases cortisol levels.  This, in turn, may decrease the risk of heart disease, stroke, and a variety of other illnesses. Additionally, Chinese researchers have shown that altruistic activities have the potential to reduce both immediate and chronic pain.

Those who volunteer also tend to be more active, which increases healthfulness in a variety of ways.

Collectively, people who volunteer spend much less time in hospitals and have overall lower mortality rates, all things equal, than those who do not. If this isn’t a reason to devote at least some portion of your life to helping others, I don’t know what is!

Affect on Longevity

We are bombarded constantly with promises from marketing gurus to help us live longer by purchasing certain products, following some fad diet, or taking a new miracle drug. Psychological research, however, points us to a far greater secret to longevity, and that is love. More specifically, love that is given freely and for selfless reasons.

One groundbreaking study out of Stonybrook University, conducted with an elderly population, showed that those who engaged in helping others and supporting others ended up living longer lives. A second study from University of Michigan extended these findings by correlating volunteerism to a longer life. Study after study reveals similar results.

But this shouldn’t be surprising. If altruism improves both mental and physical health, it stands to reason that it would increase longevity, as well.

Get Involved in Altruism!

With a little bit of thought, most of us could find numerous opportunities to help those around us who need it. Maybe there’s a shut-in neighbor who could use a little help and support, or an extended family member who would enjoy a periodic visit. Perhaps a younger acquaintance could use a mentor, or someone you know could use a little extra financial support.

Many, many organizations appreciate, or even require, volunteers. Churches and hospitals are common organizations for which people volunteer, but you could also work with your local library, SPCA, food bank, or Meals on Wheels.

If you’re interested in volunteering, there exist numerous websites that can connect you with just the right organization. VolunteerMatch.org is one such website. It only takes a few minutes to find opportunities to devote your time and/or resources to help others…and maybe even help yourself in the process.

Contributed by:

By Ellen Donovan, RN, BSN, CDP

Ellen Donovan is an RN Senior Care Consultant, and President of One Life Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that helps older adults and their families navigate the many challenges associated with late-life care, including aging in place, facility selection and placement, emergency and crisis management, patient advocacy, and proactive planning.  She has devoted her entire nursing career to providing the best outcomes for older adults and now brings this expertise to the senior care community in a new and unique way.

Ellen also publishes a free monthly email newsletter, Sustenance, that is devoted entirely to self-care, something she believes applies to everyone, regardless of age or life situation.

Ellen publishes a variety of interesting and useful content on social media. You can follow her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.