By Elen C
With the International Day of Charity coming up on September 5th, the PsychMed team got together to highlight the benefits of giving – and to celebrate some of our recent feel good initiatives. Did you know that philanthropy does not only benefit the recipient, but also the donor? So whether you are willing to commemorate the date by donating funds or volunteering your time to a charity organisation, you may be rewarded with more than gratitude.
Studies have shown the positive effects of giving, with generosity appearing to have especially strong associations with psychological health and wellbeing. Not only does it provide good feelings (activating regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust), but it also reflects in our biology, releasing endorphins associated with better overall health.
Understanding these benefits, the PsychMed team has taken the matter into their own hands on a regular basis. So far this year, we participated in several fundraising, awareness and volunteering initiatives, such as:
- Raising funds for Trees for Life on Earth Day
- Celebrating our Reconciliation Journey during Reconciliation Week
- Raising funds for Catherine House on PTSD Awareness Day
- Sleeping out to raise funds for Vinnies SA
- Contributing to Lifeline during Stress Down Day
- Delivering suicide prevention workshops for rural and remote regions
- Walking our dogs in PAWGUST to raise funds for their Guide Dog friends
- Wearing purple to raise funds for LGBTQIA+ youth
We also work closely with the Wellbeing & Recovery Research Institute (WARRI), a not-for-profit, independent research institute dedicated to funding and conducting research into cutting edge treatments for mental health, wellbeing, and recovery. PsychMed and WARRI strongly believe in everyone having access to evidence-based mental health treatments, especially vulnerable populations in rural and remote areas.
There are many ways to take part in the International Day of Charity, including donating. WARRI is a fully registered charity – visit www.warri.org.au to learn more about their mission and how you can donate. Alternatively, you could volunteer your time, with hundreds of opportunities listed at www.volunteeringsa-nt.org.au.
References:
https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Generosity-FINAL.pdf
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/5_ways_giving_is_good_for_you