Research shows that doing good deeds for others elevates the giver's well-being.

Extra effort—doing more than expected—leads to greater feelings of positivity.

Helping certain people doesn't impact happiness; the act of giving itself matters more.

There’s a video I love to show one of my classes. It highlights people doing something nice for others in quick succession, with someone doing a good deed for another, followed by that person paying it forward and helping another individual. I think students appreciate it, and it never gets old for me. I smile—inside and outside—every time.

When we engage in acts of goodness like this, research shows we enjoy more well-being. But how does that occur? Does it matter what we do? What about whom we’re doing it for or how they respond?

How Different Good Deeds Affect the Giver

Researchers looked at........

© Psychology Today