I Figured Out Why I Like Helping People - The Kindness Hack

Researchers at Wharton, Yale and Harvard have figured out how to make employees feel less pressed for time: force them to help others. According to a recent study, giving workers menial tasks or, surprisingly, longer breaks actually leads them to believe that they have less time, while having them write to a sick child, for instance, makes them feel more in control and willing to commit to future engagements despite their busy schedules. The idea is that completing an altruistic task increases your sense of productivity, which in turn boosts your confidence about finishing everything else you need to do.

Source: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D06E2D61531F930A35755C0A9649D8B63