How Volunteering Can Positively Impact Your Health | Jimmy Lustig

Your health may not be the primary reason you’re considering it, but volunteering can still benefit your well-being. Helping others can help improve your mental and physical health.

What are the Health Benefits of Volunteering?

Staying in touch with people can help improve one’s mental health. Volunteering allows you to meet new individuals who share similar interests.

Being a volunteer can also help lower your risk of depression and anxiety. The brain’s response to volunteering can boost one’s mood and produce hormones that make one more optimistic.

A study conducted in 2020 by researchers in the UK revealed that volunteering boosts a person’s happiness levels. It also found that those who regularly volunteered had better mental health.

Being a volunteer can also help people live longer. It can lower one’s blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease. This is because volunteering can help lower stress levels and increase physical activity.

Being able to relieve stress by volunteering can be very beneficial to one’s well-being.

What to Consider?

Although volunteering can provide many advantages, it’s essential to consider the various factors that affect its success. For instance, if the service opportunity you’re interested in doesn’t meet your goals or abilities, it may be more complex or strenuous than expected. Doing your homework before signing up for a volunteer opportunity can help you find a better fit.

Before signing up for a service opportunity, ensure that the company and its mission match your values and interests. This will allow you to find a good fit. Before you start volunteering, visit the organization to get a deeper understanding of its operations and goals.

Before you start volunteering, consider the personal expectations of yourself and the role. This will help you determine if the organization and its mission will likely meet those goals.

Before you commit to volunteering, ensure you have the time and resources to fulfill your obligations. Having the proper transportation can also help you reach the organization’s facilities. Also, thoroughly study the organization’s safety and health procedures.

Find Something Near You

Numerous volunteer opportunities are available in various areas, such as animal shelters, food banks, and healthcare facilities.

You can also check out websites that provide information about volunteer opportunities and potential connecting volunteers with local organizations.

Wherever you are volunteering, your well-being can benefit from your research on local organizations that need volunteers.

This blog was previously published on January 19, 2023 at JimmyLustig.net