Start your new year off by giving back

(CNN) — -If you haven’t quite landed on a New Year’s resolution, here’s one that may not only brighten your year, but others, too.

A peer-reviewed journal published a new series of studies suggesting giving to others can actually ease physical pain. The studies found that people experiencing pain benefited instantly from altruistic acts.

For example, those who volunteered to give blood after an earthquake experienced less pain than non-volunteers and volunteers helping children of migrant workers experienced less pain in cold temperatures than non-volunteers.

Researchers believe this is because of regions of the brain that react to painful stimulation are seemingly switched off during altruistic acts.