From the BHA website:

It can be simply baking a cake for an elderly neighbour or relative, or coaching a sport, or helping out at a club for young people, or giving blood – what better way to share and be involved in society?

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By doing things for others and getting involved in things that we care about not only can we learn new skills and meet new people, but it seems we will also be happier in ourselves. Speaking in support of the initiative, Professor Emeritus Lord Layard, from the Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics said that ‘There is compelling evidence that people who do more for others also feel better themselves’. And research by pharmacologist and author Dr David Hamilton, who also supports the initiative, shows that kindness is good for us — there is a positive chemical impact on our bodies from being kind. These acts cause the release of the hormone oxytocin which reduces blood pressure and slows down the ageing process, helping us stay healthy for longer. Therefore it seems that a simple act of doing something for others really is a win-win and can make us healthier too!

All well and good, but are you finding it hard to come up with resolution ideas?

No problem! The Resolution Revolution website has a page dedicated to helping you generate your resolution. Now this resource may be particularly helpful for British readers given that it specifically mentions causes within the UK, but there are broader ideas in there that could be adapted. They include:

• Start giving blood (or if you already do, consider giving platelets or bone marrow if you can);
• Join a scheme to read to the elderly;
• Set up your own guerrilla gardening operation and adopt a neglected patch of land (for more see www.guerrillagardening.org);
• Throw a street party: This gives you a chance to get to know your neighbors and further encourages community spirit which in turn could enable you to take even more action to help others — and it needn’t be expensive if everybody agrees to bring just one little treat and do one job to help set up the event;
• Help a charity with administrative support. A wide variety of charities, from those supporting the poor to those helping wildlife, often require help with administrative tasks and you could be the one to help them as they go about their vital work.

Your resolution can even be much simpler, as little things you do can have a big impact on others. Consider the following:

• Tidying your garden (or your neighbor’s garden);
• Sweeping the paths outside your home;
• Helping a relative or neighbor learn to use a computer and access them the freedom of the Internet.

Below is a video with some more resolution ideas (and, if some of you know the British comedy scene, a few well known faces):

The Resolution Revolution page also has tips to help you keep your resolutions. You can find more information here.

Finally, you can click here to head over to the Resolution Revolution page where you can sign up and declare your resolution and meet others participating in the Resolution Revolution movement.

Related Reading:

Top 15 Care2 Causes Posts of 2011
13 Good News Stories for 2011: Day 4
10 Notable Figures Who Died in 2011 (slideshow)