How To Make Yourself Happier During the Economic Crisis

The folks at Blog Action Day were prescient in their choice of "Poverty" as this year's subject. The current economic situation will mean that people already living in poverty will suffer more, and that more people will face poverty.

For many people, however, the problem with subprime mortgages and the financial crisis won't push them into true poverty, but it will make them feel much poorer - and as a consequence, make them feel anxious and powerless.

If you're one of those people, there is a way that you can both help people living in poverty and help yourself feel happier: Give to other people.

One of the most important principles I've learned from my happiness research is that although we assume that we act because of the way we feel, often we feel because of the way we act.

Therefore, if you don't like the way you're feeling, take action in the opposite direction -- it sounds simplistic, but it's almost uncannily effective. If you're feeling poor, give something away. If you're feeling powerless, take control of something. Also, one of the quickest ways to make yourself feel better is to be GRATEFUL. It's hard to feel grateful when you're thinking about your 401K's drop in value; thinking about giving to people who are worse off will remind you of how much you have to be grateful for.

When we think of doing something to help people living in poverty, it's easy to think about donating money -- and to say, "Look, I'd like to help, but I can't afford to give right now." Or to think about donating time - and to say, "I'd love to volunteer, but I've got to focus on my job hunt."

When you tell yourself that you can't afford to give, you increase your feelings of panic and danger. If you find ways to give, you will show yourself that you have enough and more, that you can be generous, that you recognize that others have needs more pressing than your own - and that will make you feel better. This act doesn't have to be huge. I have a friend who puts all her loose change in a jar at the end of the day, and when the jar is full, she gives it to her church. It's not much money, but it's constant. She's done it for years, and by now, she's probably given away a fair bit.

Maybe you can't give money or time. But that doesn't mean you can't give.

You could go through your closets and give the coats you don't use anymore to a coat drive. Or you could go through your kids' old books to see if you could give some to a group like Project Cicero, to go to a school or library in need.

Maybe you don't have any stuff to give away. You could donate blood.

Maybe you are feeling so overwhelmed that even the thought of cleaning out a closet, or figuring out how to get to the closest blood bank, is something you just can't face. You still have something to give to others - something precious, something life-changing, and you can sit right there at your desk, right now, and do it in about 25 seconds, without any further hassle. How? You can register to become an organ donor. If you support the idea of organ donation, but you haven't signed up, take this chance to put your values into action. Do it! Right now! (Register online even if you've already signed an organ donor card, to make sure you're in the online registry, which is far more accessible to doctors).

So act the way you want to feel. Acting with generosity, with gratitude, with compassion, will change your perception of your own situation. And it will improve the lives of others.

I don't mean to suggest that people should only take steps to address poverty as a way to make THEMSELVES feel better. Obviously, we have a duty to help other people, regardless of how it makes us feel.

But when you're feeling shocked and frantic, it can be hard to think about other people. Research shows that happy people are more helpful, more altruistic, and more interested in the problems of other people and society; unhappy people tend to be more defensive, self-absorbed, and isolated.

So by trying to make yourself feel happier, you are also preparing yourself to do a better job of helping others. Bolstering your own sense of calm and security will free you to think about other people. And if you can make this change in yourself by helping those living in poverty - well, that's a perfect virtuous circle.

This is a good example of the extremely important Second Splendid Truth, which holds that:
One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy;
One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.

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If you'd like to read more about happiness, check out Gretchen's daily blog, The Happiness Project. Interested in starting your own Happiness Project? If you'd like to take a look at her Resolutions Chart, for inspiration, just email her at grubin, then the "at" sign, then gretchenrubin dot com. No need to write anything more than "Resolutions Chart" in the subject line.

Comments

[jeff.mowatt]

5 years ago, about this time of year a blogger got my attention. He was living in a tent blogging from his local library in Chapel Hill NC about poverty, his and everyone elses. He was fasting for the US to sign up to the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Right

I got in touch with ABC news and an interested reporter, piching a 'Meet John Doe' pastiche but unfortunately life failed to imitate art. ABC had wealthy sponsors who didn't like America being talked down and John Doe was left to jump.

Two things happened after that. I offered him an exit, to work with me here in England, his senator John Edwards founded the Center for Poverty Work and Opportunity.

We set our sights on Estern Europe and a 'Marshall Plan' against poverty.

http://www.p-ced.com

[JulesDominguez]

Great post, Gretchen. So very true. And, in my own blog today, I mentioned that in these tough times we should give of our time, too; our time, love, and support, to loved ones -- even if that's *all* we have to give! I think the old adage is true: A problem shared is a problem halved. We can help each other through this global recession. And it helps dissipate the panic (and feeling overwhelmed) by current events, too.

[munki]

volunteer... those who can... give back to society
the hardest job I have now is to raise fund for organization in need of money...
many corporate America are tightening their belts
but... there's still a chance... keep on truck'in

[Yayas]

Karma baby,
Put good vibes out into the world and hopefully you will get them back at you.
Great post, it's good to be reminded once in a while.

[Jonahson]

Don't worry be happy. Come sing along.......

[cynicalgal]

Really need a laugh? See the new SARAH PALIN BARBIE DOLL:

http://www.Vaboomer.com

[forpeace]

*

Is this a joke?!

*

[mommadona]

Use FreeCycle in your area - or start one up...

http://www.freecycle.org/

Donate your garden bounty (check your local groups/organizations)

Also, consider becoming an aphresis donor - a very valuable service for some very ill people.
You can donate at your local Red Cross Center with the aphresis set up. My husband has donated monthly for years now. It's his personal volunteer choice.

An explanation of the process:
http://www.lifesouth.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=41&Itemid=72

You can find your local Red Cross outlet here:
http://www.redcross.org/

[BluegrassGal]

Great post! So many people forget that being "rich" doesn't always have to do with money.

[Norak]

I'm not rich but there are small ways of helping. When driving, I keep a couple of singles on my dash to give to people standing on corners with cardboard "homeless" or "please help" signs. I feel so sorry that anyone would have to resort to begging to make it in today's economy. A smile, encouragement and a direct look cost nothing and whether they help the recipient much I don't know, but I feel better.

[blogactionday]

Thank you so much for mentioning Blog Action Day 2008, Gretchen. We hope to be a small way to remind people that happiness on an individual and global level lies in human hands and does not bow to circumstance.