Do you volunteer? If so, you are probably doing it for extracurriculars or to serve your community or both, but did you know that volunteering can significantly improve your mental health? As a volunteer myself, I can confirm that
volunteering has had a positive impact in my life! Volunteering can come in various forms such as at the nearest library, senior living center, farm,
food banks, homeless shelters, or even virtual volunteering.
How does Traditional Volunteering improve mental health?
When you volunteer, you desire to make to make a positive change, and that mindset keeps you be motivated to achieve your goal. Volunteers enjoy working with other people to create a better living environment for everyone.
When you volunteer, you tend to forget the stress and problems that you might be dealing with because volunteering feels like a prolonged calmness. It increases those relaxed feelings by releasing dopamine. Basically, it creates immense joy and happiness!
Because volunteering improves mental health, it also improves physical health. It reduces stress which decreases the risk of many physical health problems. Mental health and physical health work together. If one is out of place, the other gets affected. When you volunteer, you always meet new people of all ages. Some might be your age, some might be younger, and some might be older, but meeting those new people can help you communicate with them and establish friendly relationships!
When you volunteer at homeless shelters or charities, you will feel happy as you see that you make others’ smile! That automatically improves your self-confidence.
How does Virtual Volunteering improve mental health?
You might be wondering if virtual volunteering is even a thing, right?Volunteering online can be raising awareness on social media platforms, writing letters,creating art, writing blogs, etc.
Well...I’m writing this blog for IcLucy, an organization, that I volunteer for!
When I started volunteering for IcLucy, I loved their initiatives and goal, and whenever I write blogs, it makes me happy as I can contribute to grow their initiatives! I also get a chance to explore new topics!
Volunteering online can help you find your purpose! As you volunteer for an organization, you might find their initiatives interesting which would lead you to being more involved in those initiatives. This can help you find meaning in something unexpected!
Virtual Volunteering allows you to create online friends!
Volunteering and Mental Health –The Final Connection
By now, you know that volunteering significantly improves mental health!
Even in today’s world, mental health is still considered a taboo topic which is the main reason of depression, extreme anxiety, and other issues. Talking about mental health and ways to improve it is a step forward to raising awareness.
Volunteering is not only beneficial for those who you volunteer for, but it’s also beneficial for you as you start to feel stress-free, happy, joyful, confident, and see a positive change in mental health.
The connection is real! Try Volunteering and explore both traditional and virtual volunteering.
See which one you like better and start volunteering and see the positive impact on your mental health!
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