1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: Today's tip is that giving feels good. If you are 4 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: attempting to buy happiness, spending money on others is a 5 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: very efficient way to do it. If you've recently found 6 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: yourself itching for tangible ways to help others, you're certainly 7 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: not alone. The horrible human toll of the COVID nineteen 8 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: pandemic and the economic fallout, along with recent events drawing 9 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: attention to widespread inequality, have prompted many to want to 10 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: give back to their communities. Fortunately, this itch is one 11 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 1: you won't regret scratching. Helping others is always a good 12 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: thing to do, and it's also one of the best 13 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: ways to make you feel better about life. In general. 14 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: Research has found that people in every part of the 15 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: world experience an emotional benefit from spending money to help others, 16 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: sometimes referred to as pro social spending. In fact, this 17 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: effect is thought to be one of the very few 18 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: known psychological universals shared by humans worldwide. For example, in 19 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: one study, people who recently made donations reported experiencing higher 20 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: levels of life satisfaction than those who had. This effect 21 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: is seen across income groups, and you don't have to 22 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:32,839 Speaker 1: spend a lot of money to get this emotional kickback either. 23 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: Another study showed that spending just five dollars on others 24 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: can lead to a measurable increase in the giver's reported happiness. 25 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: Spending to help others has been shown to have a 26 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: greater impact on happiness compared to spending on ourselves. Humans 27 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: are social creatures, and gift giving has long been a 28 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: form of cementing alliances. If you buy yourself coffee, that's 29 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: the end of it. If you treat your friend to coffee, 30 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: you'll probably spend time together enjoying the coffee, and then 31 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: she may treat you in return, which doubles the fun. 32 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: The same emotional benefit happens when we spend on others 33 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: by investing to improve our communities. Some research suggests that 34 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: pro social spending provides the greatest emotional benefit when it 35 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: helps us connect with others, when we can see the 36 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: impact of our giving, and when we feel like we 37 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: have the ability to freely choose when and how we give. 38 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 1: This may be one reason that people give most generously 39 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: to their own houses of worship. God may command it, 40 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: but you're also there a lot seeing what your money 41 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: is doing, and it helps you feel connected to your 42 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: fellow worshippers. It's also why people tend to feel better 43 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: about giving to organizations where they volunteer as well. Pro 44 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 1: social spending can take a variety of different shapes, so 45 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: don't feel like you have to box yourself into only 46 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: one form of it. For example, perhaps one week you'll 47 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: decide to spend half an hour choosing the perfect graduation 48 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: gift for your niece and her friends that you've gotten 49 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: to know over the years. The next week, you anonymously 50 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: leave gift cards for a neighbor who's going through a 51 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,079 Speaker 1: rough time. The next week, you choose to donate to 52 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: a food bank because you saw a longer line than 53 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 1: usual as you drove past. If you have the financial 54 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: resources to do so, making a regular monthly donation to 55 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: a small number of causes you care about is great, 56 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: but make sure you don't treat this as a set 57 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,519 Speaker 1: it and forget it solution. You want to pause each 58 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: month as you give to feel grateful that you have 59 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: the resources to do so. There's a lot to worry 60 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: about in the world, but taking small steps to make 61 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: things better not only helps make things better, it makes 62 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: us feel more empowered rather than helpless, and as we 63 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: feel that way, we start to see bigger challenges that 64 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: we can take on. Happiness isn't a zero sum game. 65 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: There are myriad reason is to give other than emotional satisfaction. 66 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: But we shouldn't view this emotional satisfaction as an embarrassing 67 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: or trivial side effect, like how dare I feel happy 68 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: when people are suffering? The fact that we feel happier 69 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: when we do something to help the suffering is why 70 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: people keep doing it. It makes us feel progress is 71 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: possible and change only happens when enough people feel that way. 72 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 73 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey everybody, 74 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 75 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 76 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod 77 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 1: that's b E the number four then breakfast p O D. 78 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 79 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: podcast at iHeartMedia dot com That Before Breakfast is spelled 80 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much. I look 81 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: forward to Staying in Touch Before Breakfast is a production 82 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from i heart Radio, 83 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 84 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.