Reasons to know as human the Easy Ways to Give, and “We make a living by what we acquire,” Winston Churchill reportedly stated. “What we offer makes a life.”

It feels good to give. We’ve all felt good after doing something good, whether it was donating used books to the library, feeding the destitute in a soup kitchen, walking for AIDS or another cause, calling or visiting an elderly relative, or giving someone a very personal and meaningful present that they appreciated.

Americans who offer an average of 5.8 hours per month are “extremely happy,” according to sociologists Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson of the University of Notre Dame’s Science of Generosity Initiative, while those who volunteer 0.6 hours are “very sad.”

They also claim in their book The Paradox of Generosity that Americans who donate more than 10% of their income have lower rates of depression than those who do not.

But, in order to give, you don’t have to spend a year of your life on a mission trip or donate half of your salary to a charity. Giving can be done in a variety of ways.

Here are a few that Jennifer Iacovelli’s book Simple Giving: Easy Ways to Give Every Day inspired.

1. Spend Your Cash on Others

Even a simple act of kindness, such as buying someone a bubblegum or a mint, might make you feel happier. The research of social psychologist Liz Dunn of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, was presented in the 2008 articleTrusted Source in Science.

She and her colleagues conducted a poll of over 600 Americans and discovered that those who spent money on others were happier and more satisfied than those who spent money on themselves.

Dunn’s team asked 16 employees who were eligible for a $3,000 to $8,000 company bonus about their happiness in a second study. Dunn’s team went back to the employees after they received the bonus and spoke with them about how satisfied they were with the money and how they spent it. The magnitude of the bonus had no bearing on their enjoyment; however, the amount they spent on others or donated to charity did.

 

2. Socialize with other people

Spending time with someone can be just as valuable as or even more so than spending money on them.

Iacovelli discusses a research in which $10 Starbucks cards were distributed in four different ways in her book. People were instructed to:

Give the card to a friend or family member.
Use the card to take someone out for coffee.
Get a cup of coffee by yourself.

Rather than going out for coffee with a friend, they use the gift certificate on themselves.

The participants who used the gift card to buy something for someone else while spending time with that person were the happiest.

These days, our time is often more valuable than our money, so giving it to someone who benefits us in no way (like networking possibilities) is a wonderful gift.

3. Become a volunteer… Untraditionally

To reap the rewards of doing good, I don’t believe you need to volunteer in the typical sense of spending many hours a week at a program or institution.

Volunteering can include things like paying a visit to an elderly neighbor or running errands for a friend. It could be anything from preparing tax filings for a relative to strolling your mother’s dog.

Volunteering (in whatever form you choose) can be a vital element of recovery for people suffering from chronic pain and depression. According to a research published in 2002 in Pain Management Nursing, when nurses suffering from chronic pain acted as peer volunteers for those suffering from chronic pain, their pain intensity dropped, as did their degrees of impairment and depression.

“Despite hurdles, the benefits of this altruistic initiative surpassed any frustrations reported by chronic pain volunteers,” the abstract states.

4. Make Yourself Emotionally Available

Another way we can contribute is in our relationships, according to Smith and Davidson in The Paradox of Generosity, by being emotionally present, giving, and hospitable.

It’s also good for your health. They argue that those who are more generous in relationships are more likely to be in excellent health (48%) than those who aren’t (31%).

To always be there (mind, body, and spirit) for our spouse, our children, and our parents is possibly the most difficult type of giving. When we are sincere in our giving, it has a great impact on our lives.

5. Conduct Extraordinary Acts of Kindness

I included several acts of kindness under volunteering since I feel that practically any type of spending time with people can improve your mood.

An act of kindness can be performed practically anywhere and at any time. You may be as creative and involved as you desire, whether you spend days on a complex project or a few seconds doing good. Here are a few examples of acts of kindness that come to mind, but there are many more!

Holding a door open for someone
Allowing someone to chop a few items in front of you at the supermarket
Saying hello to a stranger with a smile
Providing advice to a friend
Taking the newspaper from your next-door neighbor
Calling an elderly, lonely person to have a conversation
Taking your dog to a retirement home to be petted
Assisting an elderly lady to her automobile
Allowing a car to cut in front of you in traffic is not a good idea.

6. Give a compliment to someone

Complimenting someone is my favorite gesture of compassion. It’s so simple, doesn’t cost anything, and always makes me feel better.

I’ll congratulate a complete stranger on her blouse, tell the waiter she has a lovely smile, complement the grocery store clerk on her speed, and praise the studious girl in my carpool for her discipline and conscientiousness. Complimenting someone gets me out of myself for a few while, which is usually a welcome respite. I automatically feel better about myself when I make someone else feel good about themselves.

7. Inspire Someone to Laugh

Making someone laugh is one of the most enjoyable ways of giving and one of the most valuable presents you can give. Laughter, as I’ve already stated, is one of the most powerful antidepressants. When you’re laughing, it’s nearly impossible to be frightened or afraid.

“To properly laugh, you must be able to take your suffering and play with it,” Charlie Chaplain reportedly observed. So if I can make someone laugh — even if it’s just a small chuckle — I’m assisting them in releasing the anguish or burden they’re carrying. In the process, I am also assisting in the relief of my own.