Did you know that October 5th is National Do Something Nice Day?

What a great concept. Besides the fact that doing something nice for other people is just a generally awesome thing to do, there are also personal benefits (both health-wise and other) to being altruistic.

Here are five of these benefits:

1.    You’ll get a ‘high’ from it. A study from Hebrew Universityin Israel found that there is a link between the act of being kind and the gene known to release dopamine, the neurotransmitter in your brain that is responsible for controlling the brain’s reward and pleasure centers.

That may be why Alan Luks, author of The Healing Power of Doing Good and a leader in social change and advocacy, has found in his various research that helpers tend to report a feeling of energy, calm and greater self-worth when helping others. This could also be why the same pleasure centers in our brain light up when we receive as gift as do when we instead donate to charity.

2.    You’ll live longer from it. According to some research, many people with diseases or illnesses saw their health actually improve once they started doing volunteer work. (This could have a little something to do with the side effect below … )

3.    You’ll help your heart health with it. According to David R. Hamilton, Ph.D., acts of kindness tend to be accompanied by emotional warmth, which in turn helps release oxytocin. The oxytocin then acts to release nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure and protecting the heart.

4.    You’ll be more successful because of it. Think of it this way: don’t you trust the people in your own life who go out of their way to help others just a little bit more than those who don’t? That same logic applies to your co-workers and, therefore, your career, as well. In fact, some research has shown that compassionate people are more popular and more successful at work.

5.    You’ll feel better because of it. We don’t really need any research or studies to say the following — being nice simply helpsyou feel better. If you’re the kind of person who does like the science to back up your actions, though, keep this in mind: Being nice boosts your serotonin level, which is the neurotransmitter that gives us a feeling of satisfaction and well-being.

As if those reasons weren’t enough, consider the look on someone’s face when you hold the door for them, give them some change, pick up something they dropped or shoot them a quick note to let them know you’re thinking of them.

That should do it!