One of my favourite areas of ongoing research is altruism and its impact on our well-being.
But altruism for many people conjures up needing to almost give up one’s life and dedicate it to a cause … which is great for those so inclined, but for most of us, that’s not going to be practical or desirable.
Dr Tim Lomas from Uni of East London taught me that the goal of applied positive psychology was to make life better … not just for ourselves, but for and with other people.
That’s one of the many things that attracted me to the field of applied positive psychology – it was never just about happiness, it was about the elements that contribute to us living a ‘good life’ – to flourish as humans.
This month, the team from Action for Happiness have put together ‘Altruistic August’ and a month of suggestions on how you can be more intentionally altruistic (without needing to give up your life and dedicate it to a cause) – and make life better.
And goodness knows, we need a little more kindness in the world right now.
I hope you find it of value.
