Key points

When we focus on other people and things, we get outside of our heads.

The act of hoping for the well-being of the natural environment can release hormones that boost mood.

Certain regions, such as East Asia, are more group-oriented.

When I told my husband I wanted to clean up the trash that littered the bushes near the local train station, he looked at me with a funny face. He confessed, “Um, people might confuse you with one of those ladies who rummage through the garbage for soda cans .”

I smiled. Then, I showed him the neon-yellow volunteer’s vest I bought online. He did not comment.

When I announced that a friend was joining me on this clean-up effort, he sighed with what sounded like quiet relief. My friend and I marched down to the station and proceeded to clear t

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