In Build the Life You Want, Arthur Brooks and Oprah Winfrey highlight the work of psychologists Adam Waytz and Wilhelm Hofmann. They looked at whether people get happier when they focus on their own desires or when they do something good for others.
Waytz and Hofmann divided participants into three groups: 1) those who did a “moral deed for others” each day of the study, 2) those who engaged in a daily “moral thought for others,” and 3) those who did a “positive thing for yourself” every day.
Those who did something good for others scored the highest on a range of well-being measures. The thoughts group scored higher than the “treat yo self” group.
Brooks, who has become a leading expert on the science of happiness, summarizes the findings:
"Those caring for others actively felt greater purpose in life and sense of control, while the others did not. They were also the only ones who felt less anger and social isolation. The end results were clear, and consistent with a huge body of data showing that focusing less on yourself and your desires will make you happier."
Of course, there's a role for “self-care,” but it turns out that community care may be just about the best thing you can do for yourself.