When you are feeling down, make a (tiny) difference

This is not a motivational post, it's just the exploration of an idea on my spare time journey to make a tiny difference in the world.

Here is the thing.

We are more and more isolated thanks to technology. Facebook makes us unhappy, the news make us unhappy, the growing isolation in our screen-filled rooms makes us feel lonely – so in the end: We all have plenty of moments where we feel down. We all know it and more importantly feel it.

I don't know if I really understood the consequences of what I was
saying, because [of] the unintended consequences of a network when
it grows to a billion or 2 billion people and ... it literally changes
your relationship with society, with each other ... It probably
interferes with productivity in weird ways. God only knows what
it's doing to our children's brains.

— Sean Parker

I feel like this especially at night, when I try to get the work done that I didn’t manage to cramp in my work day, while taking care of our kids and fixing things on the farm. (I know it’s stupid to try to get things done during the night, but let’s not get into that discussion for now.)

Anyway.

I tried to observe how I feel during these moments and what's missing for me to get out of this feeling (besides sleep). My biggest struggle: I don't know what I should do exactly as a next step when I felt like that. I need someone or something that suggests the right next step – when I'm feeling down in front of my computer with a ton of websites ready to distract me.

The thing is: These distractions are meaningless and only take away my attention – and I know this.

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others.
And if you can`t help them, at least don`t hurt them.

— Dalai Lama

So, here is the solution that I have in mind:

Why not have a service suggest small actions that make a positive difference in the world. It doesn't have to be big. It shouldn't be. Just enough to make you feel better, because you took action and made a difference. Like: donating 2,50€ for clean water projects, sharing an important upcoming event from the local community or something else that makes the life for other people better.

All suggested actions would come with a detailed description how the small contribution makes a difference for their campaign or project and what the small step means to them.

After the transaction is completed, the user is rewarded with a positive thank you note that just states what a wonderful difference the person made in the world – happily shared on Social Media, but that's optional. The user does it for himself in the first place.

Our ego or self-conception could be pictured as a leaking balloon,
forever requiring the helium of external love to remain inflated,
and ever vulnerable to the smallest pinpricks of neglect.

There is something at once sobering and absurd in the extent to
which we are lifted by the attentions of others and sunk by their
disregard.

Our mood may blacken because a colleague greets us distractedly or
our telephone calls go unreturned. And we are capable of thinking
life worth living because someone remembers our name or sends us
a fruit basket.

— Alain de Botton - Status Anxiety

The final Question

Now I'm wondering: Would this make me feel better in the long run? Would I keep using it after the first two attempts? And more importantly: Would it make others feel better?

Note This post will be updated in the future, probably.