Less is more. #GiveSomethingAwayDay, which falls on July 15, represents a perfect opportunity to declutter not only your life, but also your soul. There’s actually a body of research that links giving things away to a better quality of life. After a donation, for example, the brain’s mesolimbic system lights up and releases dopamine much in the way the body responds to good food, sex or drugs. In addition, grownups who helped with after-school programs in one study actually wound up with a lower so-called bad cholesterol level and body mass index.
Volunteering, which involves giving away one’s free time, provides a sense of purpose to people of all ages. There’s a feeling that you’re making a meaningful contribution to society, which increases a person’s sense of purpose in life, and helps fuel both sound physical and psychological health. Giving something away also helps with grief. When a loved one dies, our gut instinct is to hold onto their possessions to remember them by, but when we give those things away, it opens a physical and mental space that allows for healing to occur.
Materialism, of course, is part of our capitalistic way of life, but the problem is that collecting things that seemingly make us feel good also can clutter our mind, heart and soul. When we let go of belongings, we shed a heavy weight that can be burdensome. There’s a feeling of empowerment and freedom to cutting ties with objects. And getting in the habit of regularly giving things away represents a step toward enlightenment, empowerment, joy and harmony.