Lindsey Flygare, Community Engagement Coordinator
Did you know that volunteering can actually improve mental health, it has actually been proven that volunteering releases dopamine – a chemical in your brain responsible for reducing stress and increasing positive relaxed feelings. According to a study by United Health Group over 75% of the 2,705 adults surveyed stated that they feel physically, and emotionally healthier (link to the results below) 93% reported improved mood – 79% reported lower stress levels – 88% reported higher self-esteem by giving back.
Source: https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/content/dam/UHG/PDF/2017/2017_Study-D…;
Besides this one study I have read several others that all agree, and I have to say I do too! Nothing makes you feel better than helping your community or learning you have a skill that you can use to help others in a unique way. As someone that works every day with senior volunteers, I would like to bring up some other important facts specifically about the mental health for “senior volunteers” - fun fact one hour of volunteer time is equal to about $30.15per hour and in the USA there are about 60.7 million volunteers – and over 1 billion people volunteering worldwide (not all report their time so an exact amount is unknown)
Combats social isolation * improving physical health and overall wellbeing * can lead to less illness teaches others valuable skillsets * improves cognitive abilities * teaching about other cultures * improved understanding and empathy * creates new relationships/friendships * lowers depression and anxiety * enriched sense of purpose * builds self-confidence * improves the drive for community connection and improvements * personal growth and self-discovery
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