How giving back to our community can boost you and your teams
Opinion
The ‘helper’s high’ is a proven way to reduce stress, enhance mental resilience, and cultivate a more profound sense of purpose. Industry charity NABS offers suggestions on how to get into the generous spirit.
As leaders, we think in terms of ROI, impact, and results. Rightly so. But what about the human return of what we do?
Put aside the daily workload for a moment to consider the science of generosity.
Our industry is home to some of the most creative, empathetic, and gifted individuals around.
We need to support our mental wellness so that we can show up each day and keep creating work that we can be proud of. Of course, as the commercial director of NABS, the industry charity, I am passionate about that point.
However, what I’m proposing isn’t just about letting your people know that they can call NABS when they need support – although, of course, that’s what we’re here for, and we want people to get in touch with us for help, regardless of their issue.
What I’m suggesting is that we can all invest a little more of ourselves in our industry’s mental wellness – boosted by the knowledge that helping others tangibly benefits us too.
Asking you to give up some of your valuable time and/or money may seem counterintuitive, especially at the moment. We’re all increasingly busy and under pressure. Time and resources can feel stretched to the limit. Our industry is brilliant, and we love it, but sometimes things get tough. How can we find the time, motivation or headspace to give to others?
This sense of pressure and overwhelm is precisely why we need to pause and consider how we can support one another. A little time spent on others can bring huge returns for us personally as well as the people we’re helping.
Wired for kindness
Notably, giving back to others has been shown to support mental wellness. When you give back to your community, you do amazing things not only for your own mental wellness but also for the well-being of others. And I know how fabulous people are in our industry at giving to each other – I’ve seen it at so many NABS events, from speed mentoring to Stranger than Summer.
The fact is that we’re wired for kindness. Here’s where we get to the science of generosity.
Various research studies have demonstrated the existence of a neurological ‘feel-good factor’. Acts of kindness activate specific brain paths, including the reward system and the prefrontal cortex.
When we give to someone else, our brains experience a hit of dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine makes us feel happy; this is released when we’re kind and generous. Serotonin, meanwhile, makes us feel calm and content —a wonderful byproduct of helping others.
In this way, kindness and giving activate the brain’s pleasure centres, providing reward as well as motivation to do more. That’s a fantastic, meaningful and enriching way to boost mental wellness.
Scientists even have a name for it: the “helper’s high.” It’s not just a nice feeling. It’s a proven way to reduce stress, enhance mental resilience, and cultivate a more profound sense of purpose. Altruism that comes back to help the helper, in return supporting your employees to be brighter in mood and spirits at work.
A virtuous circle of mental wellness
This, in turn, makes you and your employees more committed to promoting mental wellness in our industry.
You see and feel the benefits of giving; you want to experience more of the same, because you know first-hand how much better life is when your mental wellness is actively supported. You want the same for others across the industry, so that everybody can thrive. A virtuous circle is set in motion.
Getting involved in helping our industry’s mental wellness also helps to foster a greater sense of community. You feel more connected to those whom you are helping. You meet old friends and new ones at fundraising events. You know that you’re working together with other people for a greater cause – sometimes, people who you might otherwise not have had the chance to meet.
I absolutely love going to our NABS fundraising events – it’s the fantastic people in our industry who make them so much fun, and it’s the love and care everyone has for our industry’s mental wellness that makes each event so uplifting.
So how can you get into the generous spirit?
1. Donating money to NABS is a wonderful way to support our industry’s mental wellness. We’re so grateful for our fantastic donors that this year we’re honouring those who support us with a place on the Yay List – this year’s industry list to be on.
2. Organising your own community fundraising event is a super way to get people together for some much-needed fun while raising money for a good cause. Think of inclusive events where everybody can feel welcome, from quizzes to walks.
3. Matched giving is also a fantastic way to boost your fundraising on NABS’ behalf. Check if NABS is listed as one of your company’s charity partners. If we’re not, ask if we can be. Once set up, your company can match your fundraising and double the difference.
4. Give some time to someone else, perhaps as a mentor or mental health first aider. Often, listening to someone in a non-judgmental and supportive way can be the most powerful first step to meaningful change.
The bottom line? Supporting your people, even those you don’t know personally, is a powerful form of self-care for the entire industry. It’s an investment in a better, more stable professional home for all of us.
To find out more about supporting NABS, visit nabs.org.uk
Nicky Harris is the commercial director at NABS (National Advertising Benevolent Society)