If like us you have spent hours searching the malls for the perfect gifts, you will be happy to know that you are going to get all that time back! At least that is the statistical result of recent studies that show generous giving is a positive survival trait in humans. One reason may be the neurotransmitter Oxytocin.
Oxytocin is stimulated by such things as touching and being trusted and is shown to facilitate the bonding of mother and child. If you are building a brand, this is the stuff you need your customers producing when they hear your name. And it is clearly connected to giving. A report published by the journal, ONE, shows that giving test subjects Oxytocin made them much more generous. It seems to be a two-way street, so the act of generous giving gives you a shot of this hormone as well. And Oxytocin is a gift that keeps on giving – to you! The hormone is known to reduce heart rate and blood pressure, promote wound healing, and reduce the effects of stress.
The best gifts to give are the most personal. Giving of your own time trumps all the rest. A review of over thirty studies on the subject done by the Corporation for National and Community Service found that people who volunteer time to help others have lower mortality rates, function at a higher physical and cognitive level, and are less likely to be depressed than others. You get more benefit if you are older, and if you give more than 100 hours a year. We’ve said before that one of the smartest career moves you can make is to find and support an important social cause at work. Now it turns out it might just save your life.
Merry Christmas!
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