There’s a lot of evidence to support the fact that acts of kindness make us happier people.
In fact, there have been many studies done on this topic.
And in a post that was published on Verywellmind.com, we can see some pretty direct evidence for how we can become happier as people—and to a great degree, there’s a part of this that depends upon the level of service we commit to doing for other people and for our communities as a whole.
When we seek to serve our communities and make the world a better place, we end up experiencing more of what is called eudaimonia.
This is a type of happiness that’s actually derived from things like seeking virtue and meaning in our lives. It is associated with fulfilling responsibilities, investing in our long-term goals, being concerned with the care and well-being of others, and living up to our own personal ideals.
Research shows us that happy people tend to rank higher on eudaimonic life satisfaction.
This is why volunteering is generally associated with people reporting having a more meaningful life.
This type of activity, while it doesn’t necessarily create a direct benefit for them in hedonistic terms, does help to create a feeling of happiness and joy.
Here are some tips for how to use this principle to help you achieve more happiness, contentment, and satisfaction in life.
1. Try To Perform More Kind Acts For Others
This could mean helping someone randomly at the grocery store, volunteering at an organization, donating money to someone in need, etc.
Of course, knowing that your efforts are translating to actually making a difference might be important, so you may want to do a bit of research before deciding exactly where and how you want to contribute.
But contributing is really the goal—as that’s where meaning is created.
2. Set Goals That Aren’t Based On Hedonistic Gain
As you set goals in life to achieve more success for yourself, also make sure to set a few goals that are mostly designed to give back to your community, and to make it a better place.
3. Work To Correct Injustices In your Local Community
If you feel passionate about certain types of injustice that you witness or experience in your local community, volunteering or taking action to help correct them can really help you to tap into this kind of happiness and greater sense of purpose.
When we work hard to make our world a better place, based purely on the spirit of wanting to help others and reduce suffering, we really tap into those eudaimonic principles to unlock greater degrees of life satisfaction and happiness.
Remember That Balance Is Everything
Remember that we must balance seeking success with selflessly giving to others.
If you do too much of one or the other, your life will fall out of balance—and that won’t be a good thing for you.
So always strive to do both—and make sure not to stretch yourself too thin in the process.