Helping others can help you live longer. That’s what researchers have concluded after a study which compared receiving social support and giving it as predictors of mortality over a period of five years. Whereas it would be intuitive to think receiving such support would be good for oneself, the results showed it was giving social support that predicted longevity. Apparently, helping behavior works to buffer against the negative effect that stress typically has on mortality.
This article was originally published on September 11, 2018
