Volunteering is an admirable experience to participate in and often gets overlooked for the benefits that you gain for yourself. This is because it is typically associated with giving. But for those that are wondering and curious about the positives and takeaways, here are some ways that volunteering helps your mental health, your growth, and your self-improvement.
Social Connectivity
There are many benefits to volunteering as it can help with a multitude of different facets of your life. As human beings, people have a need to socialize. Volunteering provides that opportunity to communicate and connect with others in a variety of ways. From teaching and learning from others to connecting with peers and just hanging out and talking, there you will be placed in many settings to interact with others.
Increase Confidence
Volunteering opportunities provide people the chance to develop confidence in themselves for those that may struggle or lack self-esteem. Their abilities to contribute and help others will ultimately translate to increased feelings about themselves and their abilities to do the tasks or jobs associated with their different roles. This can come in many forms, as you can subscribe to more responsibility as you get more comfortable, and as your confidence grows.
Create Meaning and Purpose
For some people, there is a feeling that they have that something is missing or that they are not fulfilled in their lives. Volunteering is a great way to help fill that hole. Depending on the jobs or what you will be doing as a volunteer, there are many instances where you may be doing something that is meaningful to you and the values you have in your life. This can range from helping with animals and children to improving the environment or developing your community. You could even think about starting a volunteer program of your own if you feel there is a cause that you wish to support and have a little more involvement in. There are so many places that need the support and help of volunteers and ultimately, if you find something that you truly feel connected with, those experiences can give you an uplifting feeling of fulfillment and joy.
Transferable Skills
One great way that volunteering helps your growth and improvement as an individual is through the skills that you can take away from your experience. This will range from social and communication to even administrative and organizational skills in order to plan or set up certain events. This is a great way to help you develop as a person and a professional, as many skills are transferable to the job and workforce. Volunteering is a great tool to get the experience needed for different career fields and can sometimes be regarded just as important when interviewing for the jobs you want.
Find New Passions
For many people, they grow up in ways where they are not exposed to many things around them. This may limit them both as people and professionals when it comes to looking for a career. The Christians for Israel suggest that volunteering can provide unique experiences that people would otherwise never have. If you go to their website you will be able to discover how this can develop a new passion and life goals to strive for. This can mean these individuals continue to volunteer or utilize the skills they have and the new-found passion to translate that into a career.
Can Be Fun and Enjoyable
As much effort and work are put into volunteering, it is often not going to be associated with work. Many volunteers continue to give back in these ways because they feel passionate about it and do find some enjoyment in the giving of their time and resources. This can be a way to find some enjoyment in life, with an example being many people volunteer in animal shelters because they love pets and animals.
Reduce Stress and Anxiety
People struggling with mental health will know how detrimental stress and anxiety can be. Volunteering can help with those issues in different ways as the act of volunteering will help distract your mind and force you to put others’ needs first. And again, if you are finding something that you enjoy or are passionate about, your stress will naturally lessen. This is why volunteering has been linked to help those that suffer from symptoms of depression and improve your general well-being.
There is so much to gain from selflessness and generosity. Volunteering helps provide you with new perspectives on life and new experiences to share. It is a great way to help others, to give back to your community, but also there are many benefits for yourself as you share your time and energy with other people.
