Last week’s Monday Wellness Tip talked about volunteering as a way to meet new people – this week we’ll take a closer look at volunteering: how helping others can benefit your own wellbeing.
Helping those in need is the backbone of an altruistic society. But it doesn’t have to mean sacrificing yourself in the process. There are many ways you can help others while helping yourself. Here are some of the things you gain by lending a hand.
More time: Volunteering is a great way to make a contribution to society. Many people feel they don’t have enough time to volunteer – especially if you work full time or have a family (or both!). But research has shown that many people who volunteer feel like they have more time than those who don’t volunteer. Helping others enriches your life in a way that makes you feel less time-poor and more like you have done the best with the time you have.
New skills: People often say the best way to learn something is to teach. If you have a skill you can share with others, why not offer a free class at your local community centre, coach a sports team, teach English to migrants or mentor refugees. You’ll find that you gain new skills, improve your confidence and learn from those you teach.
Fitness: Another health-giving benefit of volunteering is its potential to increase your fitness. If you work in an office, volunteering outside could be a great way to get some exercise while giving your time. You could volunteer to clean up a beach, give tours of nature reserves or do some gardening at your local community plot. Volunteering improves your physical health even if the work itself isn’t very physical – it can even reduce symptoms of chronic pain and heart disease.
Travel and new life experiences: Volunteering overseas can give you the opportunity to travel and live in places you’d otherwise never see. There are many organisations who recruit volunteers to help those in need in other countries. You could learn a new language, gain an insight into another culture, boost your resume, and make life-long friends with other volunteers, families and community members.
Happiness: Studies have shown that helping others makes us happier. Everyone wants to feel that they have shown up to life in the way they want to – you might call it making a difference, contributing to society, leaving something behind, or doing the right thing. We get this feeling not through building our fortunes, but by improving the wellbeing of those around us. When you give the gift of helping others, you gain happiness.
Want to start helping today? Try these websites:
http://www.conservationvolunteers.com.au
http://www.australianvolunteers.com/
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