The more you give the more you glow

People who give time to charity will "glow with happiness" for an average of 24 days afterwards, according to a study by the charity Guide Dogs.

According to the research, people who donate money will experience a mood lift for one week after giving, while those who donate time will ‘glow’ for longer.

The research was conducted using more than 2,000 people. Of those questioned, 77 percent said they had supported a charity in some way during the past 12 months. Of those, 95 percent said they were left with feelings of positivity after donating their time to a good cause.

The analysis involved a psychological test to rate general happiness among those that do and do not give to charity. The overall results revealed that people who donated to charity in the last 12 months were 12 percent happier with their lives and were more likely to report having a sense of inner calm compared with those who had not donated.

Women experienced a stronger emotional impact than men, with feelings of positivity lasting an average of 20 days longer than men after giving time to charity.  

Younger people aged between 18 and 24-years-old also claimed to ‘glow’ with happiness for longer than any other age group - an average of 34 days after donating time to charity.

For further information visit www.guidedogs.org.uk/news/2014/october/people-who-give-to-charity-glow-with-happiness-for-24-days#.VDfjJ2fAEUU.