Benefits of Volunteering on Mental Health

Anyone that’s ever tried volunteering knows how gratifying it could be. Still, should you consider such activities? Try to answer these questions – do you feel like something is missing? Maybe you’re not satisfied with the things you’re doing in life? If so, volunteering could be the answer. Dedicating just a medium bit of time on a weekly basis can help you feel much more fulfilled… not to mention the fact that volunteering is going to improve your mental health by helping you cope with negative emotions, inadequacy and anxiety.

Numerous studies have already been carried out and they all prove the amazing emotional benefits of volunteering. Would you like to learn why giving it a try is such a good idea? Sit down, relax and go through this article (before doing research about your favorite organizations that are currently looking for volunteers).

Volunteering and Mental Health: an Overview

By going through multiple studies, researchers have found out that volunteers tend to experience lower levels of depression and enhanced wellbeing than people that don’t get involved in such activities.

Most volunteers say that they do it because of the need to give something back. They experience a number of added benefits like getting to meet new people or acquiring practical skills. Researchers, however, are convinced that the benefits of volunteering and community work go much deeper.

Though researchers still can’t identify the exact mechanism in which volunteering delivers mental health improvements, they’re confident in the benefits that most volunteers experience.
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Volunteering improves self-esteem and gives individuals a sense of purpose. It enables similar-minded individuals to get together and do something beneficial. As a result, many people have expanded their social circles and even formed a support system. There are no ulterior motives in volunteering, which contributes to a sense of purpose and fulfillment of the purest kind.

The Mental and Physiological Health Benefits of Volunteering

It’s still difficult to pinpoint the exact way in which volunteering improves health but one thing is certain – it’s as beneficial for the recipient as it is for the volunteer. People that are regularly involved in social causes and volunteering activities tend to enjoy all of the following:

• Incredibly beneficial for seniors: many senior individuals tend to experience loneliness and depression, especially if they aren’t close with their family. Various studies have found out that senior volunteers have a sense of purpose and belonging, which result in positive emotions and improved overall health.
• Reduced risk of experiencing depression: this is probably the most important mental health benefit of volunteering. Volunteering work decreases the risk of depression among all individuals but the effect is incredibly pronounced among the individuals aged 65 or older. These people are the ones that tend to be more socially isolated and they lack a sense of purpose, which could easily contribute to anxiety and depression.
• Reduced stress: according to studies, nearly two thirds of volunteers believe that their activities help for chronic stress management. When people are giving back, the body begins producing higher levels of oxytocin – a hormone responsible for feelings of wellbeing.
• Mood improvement: 94 percent of the people that volunteered over a 12 month period said that they experienced a consistent mood improvement. Chances are that the sense of purpose and the deeper connections that volunteers experience to others are the ones that contribute to feeling better and being overall happier.
• Improved heart health: this benefit is directly connected to the previous one – better stress management improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system and reduces the risk of heart problems.
• Longer life: yep, volunteers tend to live longer! People that are genuinely interested in helping others are the ones that experience the biggest range of health improvements, which in turn leads to a longer and more productive life.

Tips of Getting Started with Volunteering - Even a Medium Amount

Getting started with volunteering is far from challenging, even if you’ve never done it before. So many websites and social media feature groups and information about causes and organizations in need of support – all that you have to do is pick the one that you identify with. 

To make the most of volunteering, think about your goals and the causes that you feel most passionate about. Believing in the work you’re doing and its ability to lead to actual improvements happen to be incredibly important for getting the sense of complete satisfaction out of volunteering.

Would you like to work with children? Seniors? People that have certain disabilities? Representatives of minority groups? Or maybe you care about nature and animals? Dedicate some time to doing research and acquainting yourself with the possibilities. Volunteering opportunities aren’t all the same. You’ll be donating some time to a cause, which is why you have to make it count.

Finally, remember to enjoy yourself during the process. The best volunteering experience are exciting and fun. They benefit the recipients and the volunteers. Make sure that you’re working with similar-minded individuals and that you’re experiencing the sense of fulfillment that should be stemming from the best volunteering opportunities.