The Benefits of Volunteering

Sure, volunteering doesn’t pay money, but what it does pay with is a whole lot of benefits. Volunteering benefits your health, qualifies as experience, and is a great opportunity to make friends. 

Did you know volunteering could boost your mental health? The more you do it, the happier you become. You don’t already have to be happy to volunteer, in fact, people that are at a low level of well-being may even get a higher boost of happiness. When you are volunteering for the right reasons, you get this distinct feeling. You achieve a type of calmness and a greater sense of self-worth from doing something kind for someone else. Also, volunteering outside in a natural environment is known to decrease stress and anxiety. Participating in physical activities in the cities does not have the same stress decreasing properties as nature. 

Volunteering is a great way to get training in areas you are interested in, or have missed out on. If you need experience in a particular job, there may be opportunities in your community. When completed, and without being misleading, add the volunteering job in the experience section of your resume and mention your accomplishments, results, or awards in the description. 

If you feel isolated, lonely, or just want to make new friends, volunteering is an excellent and fun way to meet new people. Did you know, one of the best ways to make new friends or get to know existing friends better is to share a job or task with them, and volunteering does just that. So, it connects you to people who have common interests and passions who could go on to become great friends. On the flip side, volunteering is one of the best ways to make friendships with people you might not connect with. This opens your eyes even further to people from different age groups, ethnicities, religion, or social groups.