Volunteering helps others, but it can also help you, here’s how you benefit your interpersonal connections and health through volunteering!
A Wednesday welcome on Volunteering Week! Today we’re looking at the health and wellness benefits of Volunteering.
According to the Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland):
The act of giving is one of five evidence-based steps that we can take to improve our mental well-being. Volunteering is a method by which we can meaningfully give our time and energy towards causes we appreciate. Studies have also shown that volunteering is beneficial at combatting stress, depression and anxiety. Volunteering also helps combat loneliness, reconnecting you with your community and helping create new friendships that keep loneliness at bay.
Volunteering helps in job security!
Another health benefit of volunteering is in how the opportunities for skill development can help you feel more secure in seeking and applying for jobs, as it improves the chances for you being successful in an application over applying to the same role without the volunteering. By volunteering your free time, you can show potential employers that you are truly motivated by the cause you are passionate about. Volunteering shows the commitment and initiative that is very attractive for those hiring in a variety of sectors.
Volunteering feels good!
What also improves the wellness and wellbeing of volunteers is the feeling of accomplishment with helping their community. If there is someone you wish to help recognise for their volunteering efforts, make sure to nominate them for a We Are Staffs award!
Its not just you who benefits in health and wellness from Volunteering, volunteering within the community is also incredibly helpful to those who are affected by the issues that charities try to address. By volunteering your time to help local community services and groups, you also gain insight into the way things work and experience these processes first-hand. You may have the opportunity to implement change where you see fit, and improve the way things work for the better.
Thank you for reading this article, this page shows various websites/locations that have numerous opportunities available.
Here’s some opportunities we’ve posted, news articles surrounding volunteering, and additional resources.
You can add volunteering opportunities you’ve helped with to your Volunteering Profile!