Among the holiday traditions Americans are most looking forward to this year is giving and receiving gifts, according to the American Psychiatric Association’s Healthy Minds Poll.
Thirty-one percent say they’re excited about it. That’s natural — gifts are incredibly fun. But the holidays present an opportunity for other types of giving that could make you feel great as well.
“Acts of kindness trigger a release of dopamine, the brain’s reward and motivation chemical,” Jennifer Moss, a former member of the Global Happiness Council and author of “Unlocking Happiness at Work,” recently wrote for CNBC Make It. One study found, for example, that performing acts of kindness for seven days, whether for friends or strangers, increases happiness.
Here are the activities experts recommend trying.
When you’re making your holiday plans, consider either of the following acts of service, which researchers have found contribute to your well-being:
