A little kindness shown toward others can help beat depression and anxiety, according to a new study from The Ohio State University. Scientists report that performing good deeds leads to notable mental health improvements not seen in two other therapeutic techniques commonly used to treat the conditions.

Perhaps just as importantly, study co-author David Cregg, who led the work as part of his Ph.D. dissertation in psychology at OSU, adds that acts of kindness toward others was the only studied mental health intervention that resulted in subjects feeling more connected with other people.

“Social connection is one of the ingredients of life most strongly associated with well-being. Performing acts of kindness seems to be one of the best ways to promote those connections,” Cregg explains in a statement.

The study also shows that acts of kindness help fight depression and anxiety because when we help, others take our minds off the negative thoughts that otherwise would be consuming our attention. This finding indicates that a common perception many people share about others with depression may be wrong, according to study co-author Jennifer Cheavens, professor of psychology at Ohio State.

“We often think that people with depression have enough to deal with, so we don’t want to burden them by asking them to help others. But these results run counter to that,” she explains. “Doing nice things for people and focusing on the needs of others may actually help people with depression and anxiety feel better about themselves.”

This project included 122 people living in central Ohio with moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Following an introductory session, subjects were separated into three groups. Two cohorts were assigned to techniques often used in cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) for depression: planning social activities or cognitive reappraisal.

The social activities group was told to plan social get-togethers for two days a week. The cognitive reappraisal group kept records for at least two days per week, intended to help them identify and change negative thought patterns in a way that could lower both depression and anxiety. On the other hand, subjects assigned to the third cohort were instructed to perform three acts of kindness daily for two days out of the week.

An “act of kindness” was defined as “big or small acts that benefit others or make others happy, typically at some cost to you in terms of time or resources.” Some reported acts of kindness among participants included baking cookies for friends, offering a friend a ride, and leaving sticky notes for roommates with encouraging words.

Each cohort followed their instructions for five weeks; everyone was re-evaluated. Next, study authors checked in with subjects after another five weeks had passed to see if the interventions were still effective. They found that subjects across all groups showed increased life satisfaction and a drop in depression and anxiety symptoms after the 10-week study period.

Acts of kindness are a great way to build stronger feelings of social connection. “Something as simple as helping other people can go above and beyond other treatments in helping heal people with depression and anxiety,” Cregg concludes.