Volunteering can be in many forms. You can volunteer to help a small community within your neighborhood. Or you can go as far as helping people outside of your own country. For example, volunteering yourself to teach kids in underdeveloped countries. Many people suggest that you volunteer when you are young. However, you can volunteer anytime whether when you are still young or when you have become older adults.
Benefits of volunteering for health in general
Volunteering can help many other people who are in need. However, there have been many researches that showed how volunteering offers many health benefits. Here are some of the benefits to motivate you to volunteer more:
Improves your health physically and mentally
Your health is very important for you to keep going. Both physical and mental health are just as important. Older adults who do volunteering works can get benefits to their health mentally and physically. Volunteering can help lower the risk of depression and anxiety, especially for older people. Volunteering increases positive energy and relaxed feelings, making you feel happier, and more accomplished. Also, volunteering can help making you staying active. Hence, it helps lower the risk of heart diseases, stroke, and general illnesses.
Builds new relationship
Volunteering allows you more chance to interact with people who are new to your life. As we all know that connecting with new interesting people can help fight depression and manage stress. You don’t know them but you are willing to volunteer. Also, you are not only building new relationship with the people you help but also with other fellow volunteers. Volunteering can help expand your social networks. You will also learn more about diversity, tolerance, and respect.
Nurtures existing relationship
By volunteering, you learn a lot how to understand others even if they are strangers to you. It helps a lot in making you more patient and understanding with the people that have been in your life. Nurturing existing relationship can also help manage your mental health. Volunteering together with the people you already knew can build a sense of belonging and camaraderie.
Provides a sense purpose
When you volunteer, you build a sense of purpose. You know what goal you want to need by volunteering. You know why you want to help the others. You also learn what to learn to find something meaningful not only for your life and other’s. it is especially beneficial for older people who often feel like they have lost their purpose in life. It helps them increase their self esteem and lower their anxiety and depression.
Teaches valuable skills
Volunteering teaches valuable skills because most of the times, you help others outside of your expertise or knowledge and you keep being active. For example, you learn how to assist a patient, learn how to knit blankets for cancer patients, or even learn how to take care of rescued animals in shelter even when you don’t have any experience at all. You stay active physically and mentally which benefits your health in general.
