Many individuals create New Year's resolutions in the hopes of bettering themselves for the next year. A new year is often seen as a clean slate, a new and hopeful foundation to build on for a better future. This year try adding charity and kindness to your list of New Year resolutions because giving to others not only benefits the community, but is also beneficial to your happiness.

In an experiment, students at the University of British Columbia were given an envelope and told they had until 5 p.m. to either spend all of the money on themselves or give it away. Those who gave to others felt happier than those who spent the money on themselves. The outcome contrasted the prediction of another group of students who did not partake in the envelope experiment, these students believed those who spent the money on themselves would be happier.

Many see shopping as a stress reliever, some even coin the term "retail therapy", to describe the experience. This year, instead of purchasing mass amounts of material goods for yourself, use the money to help your community or to give to those around you. You might assume treating yourself will make you feel better, much like the students who didn't partake in the envelope experiment, but giving to others may be the form of stress relief you actually need.

Various researchers found in a study that helping others not only increases happiness, but is more fulfilling when the donation is given to a recipient the donor feels socially connected to.

Become emotionally invested this year on caring for others. Don't blindly donate, but invest enough to do research on various charities. See where the money goes, who it benefits and become familiar with the organization. Even try to spare time for volunteer work which would allow a much more personal connection. Becoming emotionally invested in causes which you believe are good will allow you to become more conscious about what you're contributing to and how you can affect others. A new level of happiness and satisfaction could be unlocked through the act of giving, you may even gain more social awareness on what is happening in the world.

In a world where an estimate of 6 million children die annually from malnutrition before their fifth birthday, where 2.6 billion people do not have basic sanitation, where 114 million children do not receive a basic education, where 584 million women are illiterate and HIV/AIDS kill 6,000 people daily, a little bit of giving and kindness can be seen as necessary.

Allow for this upcoming year to be a year of kindness, giving and compassion.