Volunteering benefits wellbeing Wellbeing through meaningful public servicePublic Service... and there are many other benefits it brings about.
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As I was preparing to write an article in celebration of this year’s National Volunteer week, the week’s Proclamation message could not have been more serendipitous:
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Giving begets receiving, and while in a previous article we explored receiving the gift of wellbeing, today we will look at a more comprehensive list of volunteering benefits.
We’ll start with...
Live Long and Prosper
Hidden in the bowels of the MIT tunnels, somewhere below Building 26, lays the Fountain of Youth.
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And it’s not just living longer – as the next few benefits will show, it’s also living happier and more fulfilled, both life-wise and career-wise.
Dopamine!
There is something magical about volunteering’s power on the human brain. There's definitely something about focusing one's energy on helping another that triggers those feel-good chemicals that make us feel that helper’s high: dopamine (“rewards”), serotonin (“happiness”), oxytocin (“compassion”), and endorphins (“painkiller”).
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These neurotransmitters do more than just boosting our mood; they also hamper the production of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, which leads us to…
Less stress
When we think about helping others, we have an increased propensity for changing perspectives, which combined with cortisol production being inhibited, gives us a feeling of calm.
Stats: 79% of active volunteers report experiencing lower stress levels.
Perception of Time – volunteering makes us feel we have More Time
The reduction in stress may also occur because in giving our time, we increase our “subjective sense of time affluence, driven by a boosted sense of self-efficacy” (see: Giving Time Gives You Time). In plain English, when we volunteer our time, it makes us feel more efficient, and therefore we are less stressed and hurried, feeling we have more time available.
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Stats: 86% of active volunteers believe volunteering has helped them learn better time management.
Increase in self-esteem and self-confidence
Volunteering comes with wonderful feelings of accomplishment, pride, and even identity and belonging. Making a positive impact on others and one’s community brings about positive views about oneself and one’s future.
Stats: 88% of active volunteers note improved self-esteem.
Better mental health
When volunteering, we are never alone; we are constantly connected to the cause and the people we are helping. Whether it’s about the chemicals produced by our brain, or just the overall sense of belonging and purpose, the result is a happier, healthier self.
Stats: People who engaged in regular volunteering saw an 8.54% increase in mental well-being and a 4.3% decrease in depression.
Sense of purpose in life
Volunteering gives a sense of direction; we are there for someone or for a cause. We are there to help someone breathe easier, and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, this is to have succeeded!”
Stats: 94% of active volunteers report an enriched sense of purpose.
Better physical health
Volunteers were found to be healthier overall than non-volunteers, with one study showing volunteers’ health was comparable to that of peers who were 5 years younger.
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Volunteering can also lessen symptoms of chronic pain (endorphins!) and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Better heart health
Volunteers with pre-existing heart problems had reduced chest pain, as well as lower cholesterol levels when compared to non-volunteer peers.
Lower blood pressure
This also ties in with better heart health, as well as better brain health since lowering blood pressure also reduces the risk of stroke.
Stats: Those who volunteered an average of 200 hours a year, 3-4 hours a week, were 40% less likely to develop high blood pressure, even four years later.
Stronger immune system
The Mother Teresa Effect was named after a study where merely watching a video of Mother Teresa carrying out acts of kindness and compassion caused viewers to produce significantly more secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) than normal, consistent with an immune boost.
Stats: Cultivating feelings of care and compassion for just 5 minutes resulted in a 5-hour immune boost, with a 50% increase in s-IgA levels.
Professional and personal development
Volunteering develops transferable skills such as time management, delegation, communications skills, and problem-solving. In a survey of recruiters and hiring managers, volunteering was seen as demonstrating strong accountability and commitment, and helping individuals develop strong character – traits that respondents identified as leadership must-haves.
Stats: 87% of active volunteers believe volunteering has helped them develop professional skills.
Better job opportunities
How about a resume booster?
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Volunteers have a 27% higher likelihood of finding a job after being out of work than non-volunteers.
Hiring Managers and recruiters are 82% more likely to choose a candidate with volunteering experience, and 85% more likely to overlook resume flaws when the candidate’s resume includes volunteer experience.
In the same survey, 80% of respondents agreed that active volunteers are more likely to move into leadership roles.
Being the helper
While Mister Rogers’ “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” quote was meant to soothe children, we can also see it from the point of view of being at a point in our lives where we can be the helpers. Sometimes seen, sometimes unseen, hidden in a classroom at MIT, all kinds of helpers join hands and hearts together in building a better world.
In helping someone else attain a better life, our lives change for the better as well.
Sources and more reading
The Five Side Effects of Kindness: This Book Will Make You Feel Better, Be Happier & Live Longer - by David R. Hamilton
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