How volunteering supports personal wellbeing

In recent years, our culture has placed a lot more value on personal wellbeing. There is increasing recognition and awareness that looking after our wellbeing is important for our mental and physical health. It affects everything: from our attitude to how we view life and manage stress, to how we maintain relationships. 

 

The Mental Health Foundation says that wellbeing is a “much broader concept than moment-to-moment happiness”. It includes “how satisfied people are with their life, their sense of purpose and how in control they feel”.

 

Often, we hear about the benefits of volunteering to charities and the communities and people who receive the support – but not as much about the positive effects it has on volunteers. Volunteering ticks the Mental Health Foundation’s definition of personal wellbeing, providing people with purpose and satisfaction.

 

Whether you’re already a volunteer, are a potential volunteer or work for a charity looking to improve its volunteer recruitment and retention, the link between volunteering and personal wellbeing is strong.

 

For instance, if you’re an organisation looking to find more volunteers, there are important messages about personal wellbeing you can include in your marketing and communications work. Prospective volunteers aren’t always aware of the extent of the benefits, so it’s important for charities to champion them during the recruitment process.

 

 

Volunteering can be enjoyable

 

A good way to approach volunteering is to get involved with a cause you care about. Think about what causes matter to you, whether it’s an animal shelter, a wildlife and conservation charity, or an art organisation. By getting involved with a cause you care about, you’re going to enjoy volunteering.

 

It’s important to be realistic about how much you can fit in around your other commitments. For some people, volunteering once a week may not be doable. If you commit to a task that you struggle to fit in, you won’t be able to keep it up, or enjoy the experience.

 

Charities should think about offering micro-volunteering, which is “small bite-size volunteering with no commitment to repeat”. For instance, charities may want to consider offering tasks that can be done at home or in the evenings, or one-off-activities, like writing thank you cards to supporters. This will attract people who can’t commit to regular weekly volunteering, or daytime activities, but want to give back.

 

 

You can feel like you’re making a difference

 

Research shows that volunteering triggers positive feelings in people. By helping others and giving back, you release “feel-good” hormones in the body, including dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. These brain chemicals can help to ease tension and give people a sense of peace.

 

Charities should talk about this in their volunteering communications.

 

 

You can connect with community

 

There is a social side to volunteering. Getting involved with a local charity is a great way to connect with your community and the people who live there. This is because volunteering has what researchers call “built-in connection points” – both with the people you’re helping and within the volunteering team.

 

Volunteering can support people to make new friends, which can help to reduce loneliness and isolation. For this reason, charities should shout about the social aspect of volunteering in their marketing.

 

Volunteering also introduces you to people who you may not normally meet within your normal social circles. This can give you new perspectives and a different outlook on life.

 

 

Volunteering can improve mental health

 

As well as helping to reduce loneliness and isolation, volunteering can give you a sense of belonging. For someone experiencing loss, transitions, or identity shifts, volunteering can show them that their presence is noticed and that they have something to offer, which can be healing. This, in turn, can increase people’s confidence and self-esteem.

 

An NCVO survey of volunteers saw over three-quarters (77%) of the people who took part, report that volunteering improved their mental health and wellbeing. Almost three-quarters (74%) of volunteers agreed that volunteering has given them more confidence.

 

 

Volunteering can benefit physical health

 

We tend to hear less about the impact of volunteering on our physical health. But there are links between the two. The NCVO survey showed that over half (53%) of respondents agreed their physical health had improved thanks to volunteering.

 

There were demographic differences in the survey results, with volunteers from households with lower income more likely to agree their physical health had improved than those from with higher incomes.

 

The NCVO survey also shows that the physical health benefits of volunteering are more likely to be experienced with specific types of volunteering. For example, someone volunteering in sport and exercise, safety and first aid, or with the environment and animals, was more likely to report an impact on physical health than other volunteering sectors.

 

The What Works Wellbeing website also shows how volunteering supports people’s wellbeing. The research suggests that people living with chronic physical health conditions can experience greater wellbeing through volunteering.