Depression doesn’t have to be clincal to weigh you down. We all fall into ruts. Little compartments of complacency. Bear traps of medicrocity. We all must bear our burdens at times. Helping others is one way to work thorugh that burden. Finding the time or the resources doesn’t need to be a complete challenge though. Little gestures do big things at times.

Give Time & Effort: My wife and I recently participated in a service project at our church. We packed care packages for needy children in our own communities and the surrounding areas. The work was mainly filling brown paper bags. We didn’t spend hours doing this, nor did we give up any substantial vacation time nor did we lose any sleep. We finished this project with 20+ other people in forty-five minutes. We gave our time and effort and I certainly felt better about life and humanity afterwards.

Give Resources: Sponsor a child, donate to a cause you believe in, put that dollar in the offering plate at your place of worship. Moments ago I gave a small monetary gift to my alma mater: Eureka College. I felt great after doing so.

Giving is always better than receiving. When we give we help heal the world: Tikkun Olam is something not talked about as often as it should be. As you give watch your own life be enriched.

This is a part of an ongoing series on Men’s Health read Part I: Here.