By helping others we actually help ourselves

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Helping others is not only benefitial for us in the life hereafter, but also good for our health in a number of ways. BUT the intentions should be of pleasing our Ultimate Lord, otherwise all the “sawab” might be gone:D

source: http://www.thirdage.com/healthgate/files/78992.html

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The Health Benefits of Helping Others

A Sense of Well-Being

It would seem fairly intuitive that helping others would make you feel good, but what about actual health benefits? Studies have shown that volunteering can play a role in increasing your overall sense of well-being, alleviating chronic pain, and even reducing depression.
In a study led by Peggy Thoits, Professor of Sociology at Vanderbilt University, data was used from the Americans’ Changing Lives Study, (a survey conducted by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan) to examine how volunteering affected six different aspects of well-being.

Helping Chronic Pain

In another study, Paul Arnstein of Boston College and his colleagues evaluated the effects of volunteering on chronic pain patients. Pain, disability, self-efficacy (a patient’s degree of confidence in his or her ability to control chronic pain), and depression were all measured. Their findings show that pain, depression, and disability decreased after volunteering, while self-efficacy remained stable. Several months later, the researchers found that the improvements continued without harm, suggesting that volunteering may help alleviate chronic pain. The researchers note that the participants reported themes of “making a connection” and having “a sense of purpose” when volunteering.

Lowering Depression

Researchers Marc Musick and John Wilson of the University of Texas at Austin, studied whether volunteering had any effect on depression. Like Professor Thoits, they took data from the Americans’ Changing Lives survey, but looked at three different years of data: 1986, 1989, and 1994. They found that initially volunteering lowered depression for those over 65, and over time benefited all age groups. The researchers note that some of the protection from depression came from the social integration of volunteering.
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Re: By helping others we actually help ourselves

This information can also be correlated with a Hadith of the Prophet (Saw) according to which " If you want to have an increase in your “Rizq” and increase in your life span, than behave good with your relatives"

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Helping others is good for your health

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But what if we told you that volunteering at your local food bank is better than a multivitamin?

Usually described as the act of giving of oneself to benefit others, we believe that volunteering is actually about receiving. It is a “selfish” act that keeps the body healthy and it comes highly recommended.

“Helping others can truly be one of our most self-serving acts,” said Allan Luks, a researcher at the Institute for the Advancement of Health.

Luks has made a career out of examining the health benefits of helping others.

He popularized the terms “healthy helping phenomenon” (HHP) and “helper’s high” to describe the physical health effects of volunteering.

As he describes it, the first stage of HHP is a physical high — **a rush of good feeling caused by the sudden, powerful release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and very similar to the “runner’s high” caused by high-intensity exercise. **

Phase two of HHP is calmness, which relieves tension from the body, thus allowing the immune system to restore itself.

Luks found that it is the **“process of helping, without regard to its outcome, that is the healing factor.” **

Any type of good work will bring volunteers positive emotions and attitudes.

Even thinking about helping others boosts our health.

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