Many individuals mistakenly use the terms empathy and compassion as if they mean the same thing, even though they have distinct differences. Both concepts have vital traits, but it’s crucial to recognize how they differ. Research suggests that being mindful can be essential to ensuring our desire to help comes from a healthy, sincere place. Let’s explore how qualities of mindfulness, like staying present, can genuinely enhance our ability to support others and allow us to enjoy the act of helping.
According to research by C. Daryl Cameron and Barbara Fredrickson published in the January edition of the journal Mindfulness, people generally empathize with others. However, problems can arise when this empathy causes distress. We might feel compelled to assist out of guilt, obligation, or dependence, which can also lead to feelings of resentment towards helping. Moreover, without clear boundaries, we may unintentionally absorb the negative feelings of someone else. If we struggle to manage these feelings, we might end up withdrawing from helping altogether.
Alternatively, there’s compassion, which drives individuals to alleviate the suffering of others.
The Path to Healthier Assistance
The authors suggest, “Helping tends to be most prevalent among people who can maximize compassion while keeping distress to a minimum.” Previous studies indicate that growing mindfulness—the active awareness of our thoughts, emotions, and surroundings—can foster increased compassion. But which specific aspects of mindfulness are linked to actual helping behavior? Essentially, what skills can we nurture to encourage us to assist one another?
The study focused on two traits of mindfulness: staying present (also known as “present-focused attention”) and accepting thoughts and experiences without judgment (“non-judgmental acceptance”). Cameron and Fredrickson evaluated the mindfulness of 313 adults, asking if they noticed how their emotions influenced their thoughts and actions or if they frequently criticized themselves for their emotions.
The researchers found their initial assumption to be true: Both present-focused attention and non-judgmental acceptance were predictors of increased helping behaviors… Mindful participants were more likely to feel emotions like compassion or joy while providing assistance. This indicates they felt more positive during the process, which may lead to a greater willingness to help others overall.
The survey also inquired if participants had recently assisted someone. Those who did had to answer questions about their emotions during the helping experience. Did they feel positive emotions such as gratitude and joy, or negative emotions like irritation and guilt?
The findings revealed that 85 percent of participants had engaged in some form of helping behavior in the past week, such as listening to a friend’s troubles, babysitting, offering rides, donating to charity, or volunteering. Along the way, they observed some intriguing details:
- Men were slightly less likely than women to report assisting others;
- Age had no impact on the likelihood of helping;
- Participants earning a higher income were more likely to report helping behaviors.
However, the most significant factor predicting helping behavior was unrelated to these demographic variables. Indeed, the researchers reaffirmed their hypothesis: Both present-focused attention and non-judgmental acceptance were linked to increased helping. The connection between mindfulness and assistance may derive from the fact that those practicing mindfulness were more inclined to feel emotions like compassion or joy when helping others, making them more likely to engage in such behavior in general.
What Keeps Us Motivated to Help?
The study also highlighted an important nuance: Participants with higher present-focused attention experienced more positive emotions, while those with high non-judgmental acceptance faced fewer negative emotions like stress but did not necessarily experience more positive emotions. This implies that acceptance may merely create the opportunity for helping; it’s the present-focused mentality that makes the experience of aiding others fulfilling. The overall message here is that approaching help with mindfulness aids us in feeling good, or at least better, when we extend ourselves to help.
This research offers valuable insights for teaching children the importance of helping others. It could also benefit those in helping professions who risk burnout or individuals struggling with mental health challenges that hinder connection.
Moreover, these findings have significant implications for all of us, as anyone can feel depleted from helping others. This presents an opportunity to reflect on our reasons for providing assistance, our personal boundaries, and our need for genuine rest. It also encourages us to engage in service with a compassionate mindset and an open heart. Isn’t it encouraging to know there are ways to enhance our own well-being while doing something kind for someone else?
A version of this article originally appeared on Greater Good, the online magazine of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, which partners with Mindful. To view the original piece, click here.