How can I contribute?

Alfred Adler served as an army doctor in the First World War. He came back convinced that what people most need is a sense of belonging, and of caring about others' welfare. He called it Gemeinschaftsgefühl, usually translated as "social interest", and saw it as a measure of mental health.

In the 1920s he helped set up child guidance clinics in Vienna's schools. With adults, he was known for a surprisingly practical prescription for low mood:

When you're low or anxious, attention tends to turn inward and circle: how am I doing, what's wrong with me, what will happen to me? Doing something for someone else interrupts the loop, gives you a reason to get up, and is a quiet reminder that you have something to give.

Research points the same way. In one well-known study, Elizabeth Dunn and her colleagues gave people a small amount of money to spend by the end of the day. Those told to spend it on someone else ended the day happier than those told to spend it on themselves.

This isn't about pleasing everyone or putting yourself last. If you already look after everyone and are worn out, the useful contribution may be a smaller one, freely chosen, or letting someone else contribute to you.

Pete retired from teaching shop class six months ago. Most days he reads the news until lunch, checks his investments twice, and worries about his health and money. He tells his daughter he feels "useless". His neighbor's teenage son has been trying, and failing, to fix up an old bike in the driveway next door.