Research out of Shenzhen and Peking Universities suggests a way to decrease depressive symptoms and increase positive emotions for just pennies a day. They conducted 3 randomized, controlled trials with a total of 880 participants. These participants all exhibited enough symptoms of depression to reach diagnostic criteria. For the purpose of this study, they were divided into two groups. One group made “micro-donations” for two months while the other group remained on a waiting list. The first group could donate to any charity they chose and could donate as little as one cent a day. Before the study and every week during the two-month study, the participants filled out questionnaires measuring their levels of depressive symptoms.

I’m sure you can see where this is going. Those who donated daily (even as little as one cent a day) felt significantly more positive overall than those on the waiting list. They also reported a greater decrease in depressive symptoms over the time of the study. Those who gave more generously did feel slightly happier and less depressed than those who gave little, but “the difference was not big enough to be significant.” It seems the simple act of giving helped decrease depressive symptoms.

Why? Maybe the “givers” just felt good about helping someone out. Maybe the act of giving broke them away from the ruminating thoughts of perceived personal flaws (not perceived flaws are not the same as real flaws) that often contribute to depression. Maybe it interrupted the negative self-talk common in people with depression. The study doesn’t really reveal the “why.” I wonder if the “better feelings” occur because we’re built to care for and support one another and simply doing so makes us feel better. Who knows? Whatever the reason, being generous at any level toward others, sharing kindness, helped the participants feel less depressed and more positive emotions.

What does this have to do with your family? Perhaps you could increase happiness and decrease depressive symptoms in your family with a little giving challenge now and again.

1. Sit down as a family and choose a charity you would like to support over the next two months.
2. Put a jar in a visible, family area and designate it for collecting money for your chosen charity.
3. Over the next two months, every family member can put money in that jar on a daily basis. No one needs to put in a lot, but everyone needs to put in at least one cent a day. (You may have to help your younger children find ways to get the money to make their donation.)
4. At the end of two months, count it up. Write a check and deliver it to your chosen charity.
5. Talk about what you just did and how it will impact the people at the charity.

It’s really pretty simple, isn’t it? But it can help increase the positive emotions in your home even while you help a charity you love.