Be Helpful: Why It Matters Now More Than Ever Before
In times of crisis, we all have our coping mechanisms.
Some hunker down in solitude, while others scale up conversations with others.
As for me, the first few days of this C-19 quarantine tipped in favor of solitude, prayer, and yes, I’ll admit it – one heck of a pity party with a nice bottle of Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon.
But soon, I remembered sage advice from a favorite mentor:
“You can visit Pity City, but you can’t live there.”
So I climbed out of my cave and started engaging with others. At first, I focused on family & friends with a simple, heartfelt question: How’re you doing?
Then it was on to colleagues. How are you doing?… followed by How can I help?
In time, my outreach net spanned wider to sharing helpful insights on social channels and facilitating a few Zoom video chats where the helpfulness was contagious.
With a hat tip to coach Robin Sacks, one stellar tip surfaced in a recent video chat…
Show Up & Be Helpful
How could something so simple be so powerful? Scurrying for more evidence, I found this nifty article: 7 Scientific Benefits of Helping Others
Helping others…
- Increases longevity
- Boosts happiness
- Lowers blood pressure
- Provides a deeper sense of purpose and meaning
No doubt, there will be more rough road ahead before we emerge from this crisis, but if you notice anxiety escalating or hopefulness dipping, do yourself a favor: Go help someone.
Donna Kastner is a contributor to Next For Me and the founder of Retirepreneur.com.
