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 he saw it as a measure of mental health.

In the 1920s he helped set up child guidance clinics in Vienna's schools, where teachers and parents could see how he worked with children and families. With adults, he was known for a surprisingly practical prescription for low mood.

When we're low or anxious, attention tends to turn inwards and circle the self: how am I doing, what's wrong with me, what will happen to me? Adler's prescription gently turns it outwards.

Contributing to someone else reminds us that we belong, and that we have something to give. It also gives the mind something to do besides worry.

This isn't about pleasing everyone or putting yourself last. It's one small act, chosen freely. Research points the same way: in a well-known study, Elizabeth Dunn and her colleagues found that people who spent a little money on others felt happier than those who spent it on themselves.

• Buddhism

  Dana, generosity, is traditionally the first of the qualities a practitioner cultivates.

• Judaism

  Tzedakah, often translated "charity", comes from the Hebrew for justice: giving is seen as doing what is right.

Think of someone, or a group, you could help or please in a small way this week.

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You've spent the weekend going over your own worries. What would Adler suggest?