- Volunteering helps counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety. …
- Volunteering combats depression. …
- Volunteering makes you happy. …
- Volunteering increases self-confidence. …
- Volunteering provides a sense of purpose.
1. Volunteering time makes you feel like you have more time. According to research conducted by Wharton professor Cassie Mogilner and published in the Harvard Business Review, people who volunteer their time perceive that they have more of it. This is comparable to other research demonstrating that charitable giving makes people feel wealthier.
3. Volunteering your body helps you have a healthier body. “Research demonstrates that volunteering leads to better health… those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer,” said a Corporation for National & Community Service report. ”.
4. Volunteering your experience helps build your experience. This is something that highly skilled individuals like investment bankers and business consultants frequently exhibit. Volunteering in a different industry will also provide you with knowledge that will enable you to change careers. And if you want to transition from the business world to nonprofit work, volunteering first can help establish your dedication.
5. Volunteering your love makes you feel more love. Admittedly, love is a hard thing to measure. However, when researchers at the London School of Economics looked at the connection between happiness metrics and volunteering, they discovered that the more people volunteered, the happier they were. Volunteering increases the feeling of love because it fosters empathy, solidifies social ties, and makes you smile.
So how can you get started volunteering? It’s remarkably easy. Posting your goals on Facebook and/or LinkedIn will help you connect with a company in your network. To find local opportunities, you can also use MovingWorlds, Catchafire, or VolunteerMatch on LinkedIn. org to find international skills-based volunteer projects.
Next Avenue contributor Mark Horoszowski is also the co-founder and CEO of MovingWorlds. org, a global platform that connects people who want to volunteer their skills with organizations that are tackling problems in the last mile and have a big chance of creating jobs.
What are the benefits of volunteering?
Where to find volunteer opportunities
Numerous organizations that align with your interests can be found online or nearby. To get going, try using one of the following to look for open volunteer positions:
10 benefits of volunteering
Volunteering has social, career, and personal advantages whether you’re the type of person who enjoys a lot of social interaction or would prefer as little as possible. Here are the top 10:
1. Provides you with a sense of purpose
You might be able to discover your purpose by giving back and joining something bigger than yourself. For instance, volunteering can give your life new meaning and keep your mind active if you’re retired, unemployed unexpectedly, or have lost a loved one.
2. Provides a sense of community
You can feel more connected to the people you are assisting in the community by volunteering. This experience might inspire you to engage in additional community activities, like local politics or fighting for causes you find important.
3. Helps you meet new friends
Volunteering is a fantastic way to make new friends and deepen bonds with existing ones, whether they be with family, friends, or coworkers. You typically interact with people from different backgrounds when you volunteer, which gives you the chance to learn about different viewpoints.
Think about what the people you’ll be volunteering with thought when selecting an organization or cause. Having a common interest will make you and those around you more intimate.
4. Increases your social skills
5. Improves self-esteem
Volunteering may boost your self-esteem and self-confidence. When you take on a task that you believe is worthwhile and beneficial for your community, you gain a sense of accomplishment that could make you feel more fulfilled in life and toward any future objectives.
6. Teaches you valuable skills
Volunteering can provide you with training and practical experience that can both help you develop new skills and hone existing ones. As an illustration, if you promote and raise money or awareness for a cause you are passionate about, you will develop important communication, public speaking, marketing, and other hard and soft skills. Then, you can include these abilities on your resume to demonstrate to potential employers how you develop relationships outside of the workplace along with any extracurricular activities that can distinguish you from other applicants.
7. Provides job prospects
You may meet people while volunteering who can become your mentors or at the very least a part of your professional social network, in addition to gaining valuable skills and experience. The contacts you make could also improve your job prospects if you decide to pursue a career in the area where you volunteer.
8. Brings fun into your life
A lot of people use volunteering as a way to combine their hobbies with doing good. For instance, if you enjoy being outside, you might volunteer at your local community garden or at a kids’ summer camp. The creativity and motivation you gain from volunteering for organizations or causes may also transfer to your personal and professional life.
9. Can help you be happier
Contributing to causes and organizations that mean something to you can often make you feel good. These positive emotions can lessen the negative effects that stress, rage, or anxiety have on your life. You might acquire the skills you need to live a happy and well-rounded life through volunteering. Making connections and bonds with the people you volunteer with can also help you overcome any social isolation. To keep you active and reduce stress, many volunteer opportunities may also involve physical labor.
10. Gets you out of your comfort zone
Volunteering can help you get over personal obstacles like stepping out of your comfort zone and interacting with people you may not know. As a volunteer, you might encounter a variety of issues that call for you to use critical thinking abilities that advance your own personal development.
How to choose the right volunteer opportunity
Through volunteer work, you can have an impact on and connect with your community, and there are opportunities for all kinds of interests. Here are some suggestions to help you pick the ideal volunteer opportunity:
FAQ
What are 3 benefits of volunteering?
- Provides you with a sense of purpose. …
- Provides a sense of community. …
- Helps you meet new friends. …
- Increases your social skills. …
- Improves self-esteem. …
- Teaches you valuable skills. …
- Provides job prospects. …
- Brings fun into your life.
What benefit it there to being a volunteer?
- Volunteering increases self-confidence. Your self-esteem, life satisfaction, and self-confidence can all benefit from volunteering.
- Volunteering combats depression. …
- Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy.
What are the benefits of volunteering essay?
- Open the door to life satisfaction. …
- You’ll feel happier. …
- It’ll make you feel healthier. …
- You’ll get a ‘helpers high’ …
- Feel a sense of belonging. …
- You can catch feel-good emotions. …
- Embrace your passions.
