You might say that generosity is in the air during the winter holidays. People shuffle through stores and scroll through websites, trying to find the perfect gifts for loved ones. Cards are mailed to old friends and distant relatives. We affirm ties, rekindle connections, and remind one another—sometimes awkwardly, sometimes tenderly—that we still matter to each other.

Most of the time, these gestures come from a genuinely generous place. But the holidays also offer an opportunity to step back and think more deeply about generosity itself: what it really is, how it strengthens resilience, and how we can cultivate it year-round, not just when the calendar tells us to.

At its core, generosity is not about abundance. It’s about orientation. It’s a way of being in the world that says, I have something to offer, even when what we have feels limited.

Generosity isn’t just morally admirable; it’s biologically and psychologically supportive. Research consistently shows that acts of giving release “feel-good” chemicals in the brain, including dopamine,

© Psychology Today