In the 21st century, it is easy to be seduced by the allure of the world of social media. You might have a Twitter account or a Facebook page, and love adding your perfectly organized wall of pictures on Instagram, but when it comes right down to it, you are just escaping reality. There is nothing on Instagram that’s unfiltered or devoid of Amaro or Hefe vibes. People crave perfection, and the social media sphere has encouraged millennials to live up to a false reality that’s unattainable. It is the leading reason for low self-esteem and mental health problems amongst today’s youth. To bring yourself back to reality, consider doing something good to nourish your soul. Break free from the shackles of online ‘friends’ and try helping others in your real life community.
Charity work
While you may not like going to Uganda to build a school or Indonesia to help clean up any natural disaster, there are simpler and more local ways to help charities. You do not even must get your hands dirty. Many charities ask people to help with administration, financial records, or even easy filing. It may be boring, but by giving your free time to complete some monotonous tasks, you are helping a lot. Consider the types of charities you might want to help with. If you are an animal lover, head to your local dog shelter. If you want to help the environment, see if your local park rangers have jobs they need to do. You do not have to give all your free time to a cause, but a few hours a month can be the perfect way to give something back.
Individual
If you want to help people on a more personal level, consider supporting a cause. Many people create fundraising pages for those who are sick or need help. You might want to run a marathon for your neighbor’s daughter to help raise money for medical treatment. Or you may want to put your analytical skills to good use and help a local family with their political asylum claim. Whatever your skills, be they physical, mental or emotional, you can put them to good use.
Teach
While you may not think of yourself as an educator, almost everybody has a set of skills they can pass on to others. This could be something as easy as teaching an older person how to use the Internet and getting them into the habit of sending e-mail to their family and friends. You might want to teach the children yoga spots as part of an after-school club, otherwise you could pass your piano-playing skills on to the class for free. Teaching lets you meet new people, make new friends, and have fun knowing that you’re giving something back to the community in which you live.
There is nothing better than doing something for the benefit of other people. While not strictly altruistic, doing good deeds can make us feel better about ourselves and can help us appreciate the world around us rather than the world online.
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