Cruelty and selfishness feel endemic to US politics and mass media. But today’s guest, Nicole Karlis, offers a strong antidote to the cruelty and loneliness of modern life by championing acts of altruism. Her new book, Your Brain on Altruism, tells compelling stories and synthesis scientific research about the power–and health benefits–of helping others.
Karlis wants readers to know that self-care is more than fitness and individual consumption. Self-care can be serving others around us, and the scientific research backs up the idea that service to our communities decreases stress and improves our sense of belonging and purpose. In researching for her book, Karlis spoke with disaster recovery workers who say we’re stuck in “recovery mode.” That’s because in a capitalist society profit comes first and people get trapped in scarcity mindsets. In this context, we have to push for systemic change so that people can find relief and thrive together. 
Karlis’s book combines the importance of individual and societal transformation and inso doing avoids the pitfalls of the wellness industry and its message that individual consumption will heal you. Karlis says that altruism can serve as a catalyst for deeper connection and builds resilience. She tells host Douglas Haynes that we need to support caregivers so they avoid burnout and that day-to-day acts of kindness can reduce stress and loneliness.

Nicole Karlis is a health and science journalist. Her work has been published in Salon, The New York Times, Marie Claire, and The Bold Italic.
Featured image of the cover of Your Brain on Altruism from the University of California Press.
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