Good Health From Giving

The holidays weren't always considered a time of magic and celebration for me. For many years, they were nothing more than six weeks of trying to cope with the depression that always accompanied the revelry. My father died on Thanksgiving, so every year as the mild autumn air turned bitter, so did my mood as I focused on the losses this time of year represented.

One year, a friend suggested I do volunteer work during the holiday season to take my mind away my woes. I called the local children's hospital and signed up to volunteer twice a week. On my first day after the orientation, I was given a guided tour of the hospital and the patients' rooms. The hospital was enchantingly decorated with tinsel and Christmas trees, shrouding the sadness that lay behind the stark white walls. I went into a room where an elderly lady was rocking a sickly newborn to sleep, sweetly singing a soft lullaby. I then proceeded onto the cancer ward where I played checkers and read to the dying children. When my shift was over, I sat in my car, catching my breath, sobbing with my head resting on the steering wheel. I wasn't crying over the grief I normally felt during what was supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, or even for the sick children. I was crying because for the first time in my life, I truly understood what the holidays were all about.

We've all been told it's better to give than to receive, but there are actual health benefits to this declaration, and in the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years, many of us let our health go. As blissful a time the holidays are, they can also compound us with stress. We eat too much, drink too much, shop too much and get too little sleep and exercise. The pressure to feel joyous when all you want to do is curl in a blanket and drink a cup of tea can leave even the most festive person in a state of fatigue. And for those who are unable to be with their loved ones, the grief can sometimes be unbearable.

Volunteering has a positive impact on a community, but it also has a positive impact on the self. The Corporation of National and Community Service published a review on The Health Benefits of Volunteering. This study found that volunteers reported lower rates of stress and depression and received a greater sense of self-worth and trust. The review also found many other physical and mental health benefits for volunteers, such a more developed sense of empathy and greater cognitive development, especially in seniors over the age of 65.

I now make it my yearly tradition to immerse myself in volunteer work during the holidays. Since I've adopted this practice, I don't get caught up in the obligatory celebrations (although I do occasionally indulge) or the materialism. I've learned to appreciate the high spirits of the season and those six week of what used to be torment have now become my favorite time of year. There are a multitude of volunteer opportunities in every city and every town since there are always people in need.