A growing body of research suggests that staying socially connected and engaged doesn’t just feel good — it may also protect your brain as you get older. A long-term study of more than 30,000 adults in the United States found that people who regularly help others — whether through formal volunteering or everyday informal support — show noticeably slower cognitive decline over time.
Why Helping Others Can Benefit Brain Health
Scientists from the University of Texas at Austin and University of Massachusetts Boston analyzed data collected over two decades to explore how social engagement relates to cognitive aging. They found that people who consistently helped others outside their household had about 15%–20% slower age-related cognitive decline compared with those who didn’t regularly help others.
Importantly, the benefits were present whether the help was formal volunteering (e.g., scheduled community activities) or informal acts of support (e.g., giving someone a ride, assisting with errands, or helping with household tasks).
Just a Few Hours a Week Can Help
The study found that the strongest and most consistent cognitive benefits appeared when people spent about two to four hours per week helping others. That’s a manageable amount of time for many people — roughly the same time investment as a short weekly hobby or casual volunteer shift.
Everyday tasks that count as “helping” can be surprisingly simple:
- Driving a neighbor to an appointment
- Watching a friend’s children for a couple of hours
- Helping with yard work or household chores
- Assisting family members with errands
The research team highlighted that these informal acts offer cognitive benefits comparable to formal volunteering — suggesting that meaningful engagement with people around you matters regardless of the setting.
How the Study Strengthens the Evidence
This wasn’t a snapshot survey — it was a longitudinal study using data from the Health and Retirement Study, which tracks adults age 51 and older across many years. Researchers accounted for other factors that influence cognitive aging — such as education, health status, and income — and still saw that people who helped others tended to retain stronger cognitive function over time.
One intriguing finding was that when people stopped helping others, their rate of cognitive decline tended to accelerate, underlining the value of regular and sustained engagement rather than occasional participation.
Why Helping Might Be Good for the Brain
The study’s authors and other experts suggest several reasons why helping others may protect cognitive health:
1. Social connection stimulates the brain
Interacting with others — even in informal ways — keeps you mentally engaged and part of a social network, both of which are linked to slower cognitive decline.
2. Purpose and meaning enhance resilience
Helping others may boost your sense of purpose and reduce stress, which in turn helps maintain emotional balance and mental sharpness.
3. Emotional support and community ties reduce isolation
Strong social relationships are known to buffer stress and promote overall well-being — factors closely linked to healthier aging.
How to Start Helping Others This Week
If you’re inspired to give it a try, here are some easy ways to begin incorporating helping behaviors into your weekly routine:
- Volunteer with a local organization or charity
- Offer informal support to neighbors or friends
- Join community groups that partner volunteers with older adults or families in need
- Help out at local schools, libraries, or food banks
The key isn’t to overhaul your schedule — just find a way to contribute a small, consistent amount of time each week.
Takeaway
Helping others — even for just two to four hours per week — may slow age-related cognitive decline and keep your brain healthier as you age. These benefits appear whether you’re volunteering formally or simply assisting friends, relatives, or neighbors in everyday ways.
Engaging with your community, staying socially active, and offering support beyond your household aren’t just good for others — they may be one of the most meaningful investments you can make in your own long-term brain health.