Helping: the most neglected psychological well-being factor

Altruism and helping not only benefits others; it also brings us well-being.

We live in a world and society where the word well-being is becoming more and more common and a central objective in our lives. Why is it so difficult to learn to live in wellness, beyond the factors or contexts that make it a little more difficult? There is a fundamental psychological factor of well-being that we have forgotten... help.

We are social, affective, emotional beings, and our relationship with others and also with the community of which we are a part also generates well-being. Psychosocial studies with a cross-cultural perspective demonstrate the following: in the countries where the countries where solidarity is more practiced and where equity or social justice is considered an essential objective, the following is true: in countries where solidarity is more practiced and social justice is considered an essential objective (the famous case of Bhutan and its Gross National Happiness Index or also the case of Nordic countries) reflects greater well-being. Why have we forgotten that offering well-being to others brings well-being to us?

Lack of purpose as a common problem

We live in a materialistic, globalized and consumerist world, which constantly seeks to focus on individualism as a strategy to promote consumption. We forget the contact with the other, and with this, we also lose a fundamental factor of well-being such as purpose. I imagine that it has happened to you: living with doubts about your purpose or feeling confusion or difficulty in making decisions because we do not know which path to take.

Focusing only on one, in an individualistic way, makes us lose meaning and purpose precisely because we are not totally individual beings, but collective (we have our own identity and needs, and at the same time social and in relation to others).We are collective beings (we have our own identity and needs, and at the same time we are social and in relation to others).

When we feel that we live disconnected, without purpose, it is actually because purpose is not sought or found, but made. We feel a loss of purpose because we do not act collectively or do not follow our talents and longings (due to difficulties in managing certain emotions, such as fear or insecurity). Selfishness (which causes us to avoid the opportunity to help others) also has a root in fear (fear of losing control, possessions, dominance, comfort or status, because of our own fear of loss).

The great difficulty is not the loss of purpose but simply because we let ourselves be carried away by doubts, fear, insecurity, being conditioned by external factors and above all to live without surrender and confidence.

As a psychologist and coach, I have been accompanying people in their change processes for more than 10 years, and in all the occasions where we feel that there is a lack of purpose or vital confusion, we always discover the same problem of origin: we are too engrossed in creating the problem instead of focusing on a solution that involves a surrender and detachment.This is especially true when we decide to help others.

All this changes when we build purpose through the most powerful human action: helping, offering welfare to those who need it (within your possibilities and without being harmed by it).

For this reason, working with what you give, with what you offer, with what are the consequences of your actions on the world, is essential.

I am going to make you a very special proposal, especially in these delicate times of pandemic. It is about building purpose, making that helping behavior a reality, creating wellbeing thanks to what you have given, and above all, that this helps you to know yourself, to discover yourself and to grow. It is about following the proposal of Ikramnet, a solidarity project that works in a 100% altruistic way and above all totally free and simple (you can do it from anywhere in the world and without resources).

You only need a few simple plastic cans. I'm going to leave you a video where we go much deeper into this and explain how it works, press play!

The goal of this video is that, whether you are a person who lives complicated moments in relation to your well-being, as if you are a student of psychology and looking to create purpose, let's build that wellbeing through selfless help.. This practice will make you grow and can improve the situation of thousands of families (you can do this from any country and freely).

How does Ikramnet work?

With the idea of Ikramnet (created and spread by people in a free way, without being any kind of complex organization or aligned with other goals) this construction of purpose and help is simple, because it it implies interest in the well-being of others, it focuses you on what is really important, it makes you take action, and above all, it assumes that the well-being of others is the same as the well-being of others.and, above all, it assumes that well-being can be created and shared by you.

The idea of Ikramnet is very simple: you get a plastic can with an opening (to insert coins) and you print and paste the Ikramnet sticker. This can can be placed in basic necessities stores in your neighborhood or community (greengrocers, pharmacies, stores with hygiene articles, various food items, stationery stores, etc.).

When a person buys something in cash, he/she can place in the jar the coins he/she can spare (cents, pennies or a few pesos). Eventually, the jar fills up with everyone's contribution and a family that needs basic necessities but cannot afford them, can buy them with what is inside the jar.

With this proposal all parties win and generate welfare: the family gets what it needs, the establishment gets to fulfill its purpose of serving, people give what they have left over and it is also an exercise in giving, and you facilitate that cooperation and synergy.

This project started years ago in some neighborhoods in Spain, and now you can even find these jars in establishments in South Africa.. This is my proposal for you, whether you are a psychology student or a person who has certain difficulties and want to find a way out of what is happening to you, purpose and horizon... get some jars and distribute them, because just one jar can help many families.

I am Rubén Camacho, psychologist and human empowerment coach and I hope I have helped you with this video. For this end of the year and new year, above all, confidence and illusion. See you next time.