Volunteering in your community has a positive impact on your community, as well as on your overall well-being. Sharing your time for the good of others has incredible benefits to your physical and mental health. It also builds new friendships and creates bonds that can last a lifetime. Many of the volunteers I know have a relentless dedication to their volunteerism and a sense of pride in what they do. Donating your time to a cause or an event that aligns with your values can support your self care goals.
Benefits Of Volunteering
Volunteering has many benefits. Ironically, by committing time to helping others, you are actually helping yourself. Volunteering makes you feel good. Doing a good deed releases those feel good hormones. I often see volunteers with the biggest smiles while doing their work. It truly brings them joy to do something for those around them.
Helping others reduces your own personal stress and anxiety. It is an exercise that can help take the focus off of your own concerns, even if it’s just once a month or for one day a year. For people that volunteer on a regular basis, it keeps them mentally stimulated. This is why you often see older adults that are retired, giving back to the community. By keeping a connection to their community through a cause they care about, they maintain their well-being and reduce the social isolation that often comes with the elder years. The benefit to organizations is that many of these people have skills that are transferable, and they can provide key guidance in some areas.
When you introduce volunteering to young children, it helps them understand the needs of others. As adults, it helps you build confidence in yourself. By giving back to your community, you are also accomplishing goals that lead to making other people’s lives better. The greater the impact when we are fulfilling goals, the greater the sense of accomplishment. It doesn’t need to be a goal you’ve accomplished on your own. Being a part of something bigger than yourself can also give you a sense of belonging.
Finding The Right Volunteering Opportunities
Volunteering isn’t for everyone, finding the right combination of time commitment and values will help narrow down options. If you are already stretched to the limit, this may not be right for you. But if you can spare a little time, it will most likely be rewarding. Some opportunities are one-offs so it is easier to commit to if you are limited in terms of time. Other opportunities provide you with a chance to spend regular time on a cause, some even more than once a week. So before you pick something, you must make a decision on what kind of time commitment you are willing to put in.
The next step is finding something related to areas of interest or organizations that share the same values as you. By finding alignment in what they do, it makes the act of volunteering a better experience for you. You will feel better about spending your time there, and you will feel a sense of accomplishment. Some opportunities even allow you to grow your skills, which is a great way to test out new fields if you are looking to switch jobs, or just to build skills for the sake of learning.
Be aware of the emotional drain that could come with some causes. Unfortunately, many not-for-profit organizations that rely on volunteers to function, tend to never have enough resources to meet their ever-growing demands. This can put unnecessary pressure on volunteers. This can lead to feelings of hopelessness, which can then lead to burnout. Don’t be afraid to set up boundaries when volunteering, and put your own self care needs top of mind.
Types Of Volunteer Work
Most people agree that volunteering is a way to give back to your community. From raising awareness to raising funds, you can support causes ranging from building a playground to hosting charity events, or from fighting homelessness to starting environmental initiatives, the possibilities are endless. Some of the more known opportunities can include soup kitchens, caring for animals, teaching people how to read, building homes, park cleanups, and providing medical care.
For-profit organizations may provide employees the opportunity to volunteer in their community during working hours. They may also incorporate team-building volunteer opportunities through their environmental and social strategies. These are usually tied directly to their impact in the communities they serve.
Not-for-profits on the other hand often rely on volunteers to keep up with their business demands, and could not have far reaching impact without the extra hands. Volunteer roles can include selling tickets or memberships, helping out with marketing or administrative tasks, event production, or sitting on a board of directors.
Regardless of what sparks interest in you, if you haven’t already volunteered in your community, consider the options you have available to you. Most of this work is not remunerated. Normally, the positives to your own self care journey outweigh any monetary compensation, and most organizations find ways to compensate their volunteers in other ways. Recognizing volunteers can go a long way in building a sense of community.
What volunteer work inspires you?
Be cautious of getting too wrapped up in volunteering. You never know what curve balls life can throw your way and you may need to take a break from it. If your identity is tied to your volunteerism, focus on the good you have done up until now, and commit to your own self care in the same way. You need to come first before anyone or anything else.
Volunteering is not for everyone, but it most definitely benefits those that commit to it. From an improved sense of self, the opportunity to learn new skills, and new friendships, volunteering is an act of selflessness that ironically supports your own self care needs. It makes you more empathetic to the needs of others and helps you put things into perspective. Make it a family activity or something you do with friends to grow together. Making a difference in your community helps you develop a sense of pride.
IMAGE CREDIT: Pexels | Liza Summer.