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Thanksgiving Day has just passed, and now it's Giving Tuesday, the perfect day to kick off this season of giving. Why should we participate in charity events anyway?

For large corporations and other people who want to make an impact this coming holiday season, Giving Tuesday is a reminder of their chance to make their final tax-deductible donations of the year. But more than that, participating in charity provides mental and physical health benefits. Here are some of them.

It lowers mortality rate

Researchers studied the mortality rates among the community-dwelling elderly and found its association with volunteering service to others. They looked at various factors such as demographics, health status, physical functioning, health habits, social support, religious involvement and emotional states. They found that any level of volunteering reduced mortality by 60 percent.  

It reduces stress levels

Using daily diary data from the Midlife in the United States II, researchers found that volunteering also reduces stress. They compared the data from the days when people volunteered versus the days when they did not and found that salivary cortisol levels significantly decreased on the days they did volunteer.

In a 2008 study, researchers found that spending money for charity made participants happier than spending money on personal expenses. Another study by the same group showed that prosocial spending boosts happiness, mood and life satisfaction.

It helps regulate blood pressure

In a study from 2015, researchers found that giving in kind, caregiving and supporting others help lower blood pressure. The effects were reported similar to that of exercise and a healthy diet.