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A 2008 study done by the University of British Columbia and Harvard came to the conclusion that giving was truly better than receiving, especially for your personal happiness. This study backs up a 2006 study published in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences".

In the 2008 study, 623 Americans were asked to rate their scale of happiness and then asked to share how they spent their money. Those that gave to charities reported feeling the happiest. It didn't matter how much money they gave, but that they gave at all. More money to charity does NOT mean you will get more happiness. Even in sharing with worthy causes, friends and family, money still can't buy happiness.

Being happy is a subjective thing, but an objective way to measure your happiness is how healthy you are. Happier people tend to be more relaxed, which shows in the abilities to sleep regularly, eat a wide variety of foods without getting sick and not have so many aches and pains.

They also can be protected from stress-induced ailments like heart disease, tension headaches and quite possibly diabetes Type 2. This is the findings of another study done in 2005 in England. The University College London measured cortisol levels in volunteers as well as their heart health. Cortisol is a hormone made by the body when it is under stress, which was why that was picked. The more cortisol in your body, the more stressed you are and, therefore, none too happy.

The happier people also had lower levels of fibrinogen in their bloodstreams. Fibrinogen makes the blood clot, which is needed to help heal wounds, but if the bloodstream has too much, the resulting blood clots can be dangerous.

So, giving can be good for your health as well as your happiness.

Which leads one philosophical point is it really giving if you know in advance that you are going to feel good about giving? As much as we like to think that we are the most advance species on the planet, we still are fundamentally a selfish species. We tend not to do anything unless we get some sort of benefit.

But in the case of giving, our selfish instincts are working to benefit all of us.

Learn more about this author, Rena Sherwood.
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