Sure, volunteering for a cause is a great way to feel that heavenly helper’s high, but what about your everyday, random acts of kindness? The Corporation for National and Community Service reports that in addition to the 60.8 million nationwide volunteers committed to organizations, about 5.2 million also help out informally in their communities. Stephanie Brown, assistant professor in the department of internal medicine at the University of Michigan, has conducted studies determining the effects that giving has on the giver. She has studied practical ways of helping, like childcare and transportation, as well as emotional ways, like being willing to listen to a friend in need. “People who report higher levels of helping [others] have a lower mortality risk than people who report lower levels of helping people,” she says.

If you don’t notice an immediate spike in your physical health after giving back, you most certainly will notice a change in the way you feel emotionally. Although her studies have not confirmed why this happens, Brown also points out that the helper tends to experience better moods and well-being. Helping produces positive emotions, which act as powerful stress buffers. The reduction of stress can eventually lead to decreased risk for cardiovascular disease.

“People that give are happier people; they’re healthier, happier people,” Ashcraft says.