If you are struggling with a mental health disorder, your focus can turn inward. Mental health challenges tend to chip away at your ability or desire to do things you used to enjoy, to spend time with others, and much more.
As a general rule, a combination of medication and therapy can help turn things around for a person with a mental health disorder. Those are not, however, the only things that can help you improve your mental health.
In fact, this blog is filled with a variety of ideas for supporting good mental health. We have, to cite three important examples, written about the value of exercise, the importance of healthy eating, and the essential role restful sleep plays in providing a foundation for mental health improvement. We have also written about mindfulness practice, stress reduction, journaling, engaging with a hobby, and more as practices that can support your mental health over time.
In this post, we want to talk about another good way to support your mental health—one that requires you to turn your attention outward rather than inward. Let’s consider the ways in which being intentional about offering service to others is a real service to you and your well-being, too.
Not Just Vibes: The Science of Service
You might be thinking that while it is, indeed, nice to perform acts of service for other people, the real impact on your mental health can’t be very significant. Sure, you might feel a warm glow for a bit after you do something nice, but that is hardly enough to lead to improvements in your mental health, right? Really, you might be thinking, we are just talking about vibes rather than any substantial benefit.
The science, however, suggests otherwise.
In an article titled “Lending a helping hand: Doing good deeds is good medicine for mood and memory,” Matthew Solan of Harvard Health Publishing writes about the science of service and its impact on mental health.
The article highlights that acts of service are a good way to shift our attention outward rather than inward. From the piece:
“Too much self-focused attention is linked with more negative thinking and a higher risk of anxiety and depression,” says Robert Drozek, a psychotherapist with Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital who specializes in the use of ethics in psychotherapy. “But serving redirects our energy and helps us realize that we have something to offer people, and they sometimes need our help.”
The benefits of service are not limited to a shift in focus, however. The article continues:
Serving others helps brain health in other ways, too. It increases social connections, which can protect against loneliness and depression, and improves executive function skills like planning, attention, and remembering tasks. And when you help others, your brain releases feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine.
Taken together, these benefits make it clear that doing good can, in fact, help you do better when it comes to your mental health.
Some Ideas to Get You Started
Maybe you are convinced that helping others is a good idea—both as an act of generosity and as a way to boost your mental health. But you might not know how to get started. We have a few ideas.
- Look out for everyday moments when you can be kind. Buy someone a cup of coffee. Hold a door for someone. Compliment someone’s new haircut or outfit. Take a moment to really listen after asking someone how they are doing. Write a note of encouragement to a co-worker, friend, or family member who might be struggling in one way or another. These small acts can have a big impact on the people around you—and on you, too.
- Get out and volunteer. Think of a cause that is important to you, and then figure out how you might get involved as a volunteer. You might, for example, volunteer as an usher for a local theater company. You might sign up for some shifts at the local animal shelter. You could join efforts to reduce trash in your neighborhood or to mow lawns for elderly members of your community. The list of options is nearly endless, and you can make an ongoing difference when you lean into something you feel strongly about.
- Become a mentor. Maybe you have a skill or interest that you could share with others who might have related goals of one kind or another. Perhaps you would be a good fit for the Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America program, which would give you the opportunity to improve the life of a young person. Maybe you are the perfect person to start a chess club, a robotics club, a book club, or any other kind of gathering of like-minded folks. When you take on the role of a mentor, you remind yourself of your ongoing value to your community—and that supports your mental health.
We Are Here to Serve You
Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Peak View Behavioral Health serves individuals who are dealing with mental health disorders reclaim their lives and sense of hopefulness. Often, a person struggling with depression, anxiety, or another disorder will feel out of balance and unable to participate fully in their own life. We can help you move forward in a positive way.
