OPINION Louisina daives, Amadem psychologist
According to neuroscience, giving and receiving help makes us feel healthier because it improves our mood, our hormones, and our chemical neurotransmitters. As a result of spending our time in charitable actions, helping someone in need, as well as giving details to our loved ones, our body and mind promote high amounts of hormones such as oxytocin related to affection, and high doses of neurotransmitters. pleasure and happiness such as dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline or endorphins.
Solidarity is an innate characteristic that we are born with and improves through experience, and it can also be trained. Being a caring person will keep your mental and physical health healthy and you will generate a positive perspective about the world around you, which will be reflected in your immune system, raising your defenses. Oxytocin is the hormone that is released during sex, also, when a mother breastfeeds her baby. That is, it is the hormone of pleasure. And it is precisely the same that is released every time we make a donation or perform an act of solidarity.
Recent studies show that the level of oxytocin in the body increases up to 80% every time an act of generosity is performed. One of the keys to solidarity is found in empathy. Thanks to it we survive as a species because human beings are born prematurely compared to other primates and we need protection. Developing an empathetic brain was key in evolution to be able to care for and thus ensure the evolution of the species.
The benefits of this empathy are very close at hand, we have to decide to go towards them. Fathers and mothers can help their children strengthen their supportive character. The best way to acquire it is by imitation, carrying out solidarity actions and involving them in these. For example, organize a solidarity event, such as birthdays or communions, whose proceeds go to a social project; carry out volunteer tasks as a family, such as helping to clean a natural area; or sponsor a child.
Soon at Amadem, we will have our X Calçotada Solidaria, in which we will be able to see a very important number of people, dedicated to helping, doing good, donating and empathizing with such an important and necessary group, such as Mental Health. We will not tire of thanking all these people, and those who want to join this project just have to tell us!
