Boost anxiety,depression,heroism,self awareness,willpower, Avoid Depression

Add as a preferred source on Google

Those blessed with heightened anxiety,depression,heroism,self awareness,willpower or self-control are capable of heroism. Simply attempting heroic deeds can confer personal power, says Kurt Gray, the doctoral student in psychology at Harvard.

"Gandhi or Mother Teresa may not have been born with extraordinary self-control, but perhaps came to possess it through trying to help others," says Gray, who calls this effect "moral transformation" because it suggests that moral deeds have the power to transform people from average to exceptional.

This will be suggested as new treatments for anxiety or depression, too as helping others is the best way of regaining control of our own lives.

These findings are based on two studies. In the first, participants were given a dollar and told either to keep it or to donate it to charity; they were then asked to hold up a 5 lb. weight for as long as they could. Those who donated to charity could hold the weight up for almost 10 seconds longer, on average.

In a second study, participants held a weight while writing fictional stories of themselves either helping another, harming another, or doing something that had no impact on others. Those who thought about doing good were significantly stronger than those whose actions didn't benefit other people.

The physical strength might be an effect and not a cause of moral acts, thinks the experts.

The study was done by the researchers from Harvard University. It has been published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.