Three Health Benefits of Being in the Christmas Spirit

If you enjoy the Christmas season, studies show it may help out your overall mental health.

According to Time Magazine, the whole "Christmas spirit" thing is all about being generous and nice to other people.  Which is actually good for your HEALTH, according to science.  Here are three ways being generous around the holidays can make you healthier:

1. It lowers your blood pressure.  A 2006 study found that people who support their friends and family, emotionally or financially, have lower blood pressure  and they're also more likely to feel supported in return.
2. It reduces stress.  In a recent study, people played a game where they had the option of donating some of their money to other players.  When the game was over, the ones who decided not to donate had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
3. It makes you happier.  In 2007, researchers scanned people's brains and gave them the choice to either keep $100 or donate it to charity.  The researchers found that the pleasure-centers of the subjects' brains lit up more when they gave it away.