Giving Tuesday: Do Some Good and Feel Better

Feeling blue?  You're not alone.  There's been a lot of bad news in the world lately, and the holidays can be hard on many people.  

One antidote is celebrating Giving Tuesday today.  Giving Tuesday is the charitable equivalent of Black Friday or Cyber Monday.  It's a day when we're all encouraged to support a favorite cause in some small way - and make a big difference together.

Doing good has been shown to make you feel better.  The researchers Lalin Anik, Lara Aknin, Michael Norton and Elizabeth Dunn have documented the following: 

• Giving makes you happy.  In research they have examined, people who committed random acts of kindness were significantly happier than those who didn’t, and spending money on others makes you happier than spending money on yourself.  
• Happier people help others more, and they give more.  A positive mood makes you nicer.
• This creates a circle of happiness over time.  Giving makes you happy, and when you’re happy you give more, which makes you happier, which makes you give more.

Here are three easy ways to celebrate Giving Tuesday.

1. Help a child grow up with the joy of reading.  My company (Cricket Media) is participating in Giving Tuesday by supporting First Book, a charity devoted to literacy.  We will give a year of world-expanding, mind-inspiring magazines to kids in need for every subscription we sell today.   Check it out.

2. Commit a random act of kindness.  Learn more about why it works and spread the goodwill.

3. Help a charity close to home.  Find a cause in your community at Network for Good and support it here.  Search by your zip code or favorite cause.

Happy Giving!