How Volunteer Work Improves Your Health
We know that volunteering feels good. You’re helping people, animals, or the planet to get what they need. Additionally, you are supporting a worthwhile cause that is important to you. Volunteer work pulls at your heartstrings and refreshes you by making a difference in the world. Volunteer work improves mental health by increasing dopamine, naturally reducing stress and anxiety. Volunteering for your favorite organization helps you feel a sense of belonging in your community and a connection to those around you that we lack after the last couple of years of quarantines and working from home. However, did you know it also improves your physical health?
Improves heart health.
Volunteer work can literally heal your heart. A study done by Carnegie Mellon University found that volunteering decreased the risks of high blood pressure by 40%. This benefit was noted in older adults volunteering at least 200 hours per year. Interestingly, the type of volunteer work done did not factor into the results. High blood pressure is a significant contributor to heart disease.
May lengthen your life expectancy.
Similarly, a study published by American Phycological Association found that those who volunteered for charitable or social reasons lived longer. Researchers theorize that this benefit comes from the socialization and community interaction gained from volunteer work. These can give an individual access to more resources in the community.
Increases Physical Activity
Do you enjoy working with animals? Helping with kids? Or would you prefer to work outside in nature? There are many different types of nonprofit organizations. All of them have different types of volunteer opportunities, and many require physical activity. They get you moving. Perhaps even outdoors, with the additional health benefits associated with that.
Where to Volunteer
Birth it Forward provides many opportunities for people in the community to volunteer.
- Mother’s Closet is a monthly pop-up event that helps to distribute lightly used mother and baby items to the people who need them. The efforts of volunteers run this event. Check for volunteer opportunities on our volunteer calendar and sign up!
- Trunk or Treat Diaper Drive is an annual fun community event. Additionally, it helps collect diapers for Mother’s Closet. Community members can sign up to host a trunk.
- Finally, BIF’s main focus in our community is to provide birth and postpartum support to families that would otherwise be unable to get it. Birth and Postpartum Doulas can apply to volunteer with us to provide these services to clients referred to us by our partnered nonprofits.
We would love to get to know you through your walk towards better health through volunteering!
