Volunteering is an act of giving your time to help people, animals, environment, and serving the community without monetary gains.

Volunteering needs our time and effort, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to go somewhere or provide something special to do it. You can do this even if you’re just around the corner of your community.

Volunteering can boost your self-confidence, and life satisfaction at the same time. You are doing good for the welfare of others and the community by not just thinking about what it can give you in return. It can give you a natural sense of accomplishment.

Needed to start volunteering:

Some of us might be wondering what are the things you need to start volunteering. This may depend on what you want to do. But generally, you have to be kind, patient, respectful, able to feel empathy, and know-how to sympathize with others. If you’re the kind of person who can adapt easily to changes in your environment, then volunteering may be ideal for you. But there are still things you need to consider when thinking of something diverse, having enough qualifications such as resources, training, educational background and abilities should also be considered.

There are numerous activities where you can help such as:

• Becoming a mentor to a school.
• Teaching class at the community center.
• Work in charity organizations.
• Visit the elderly
• Fundraising for a cause
• Blood donation
• Volunteer for animals, looking after animals, especially the homeless cats or dogs who need love, care, support, and affection.
• Food and clothing donations.
• Recycling the garbages, cleaning, or gardening in your community.

The health benefits of volunteering:

• It makes you energized, happy, and fulfilled.
• The social connection that you gained from volunteering can uplift your mood and relieve your stress.
• Involving yourself in a social gathering or setting can help you relieve the feeling of loneliness and mood problems.
• While you are doing good for other people, animals, or the environment you are also doing good for yourself.
• This helps you to gain a sense of achievement.
• Increases your self-esteem because you make something worthy.
• Provides a sense of purpose and direction.
• It connects you to other people, therefore it’s a helpful way to improve your social skills.
• Develops your thinking skills
• This is a physical activity, so it can greatly impact your health.
• Helps you to learn or acquire skills that are useful in your profession like learning how to cope with challenges and how to deal with different situations.
• It’s a fun activity that boosts happiness.
• Good activity for your overall well-being.

Always remember not to take on a responsibility that you can’t handle. If you aren’t enjoying it, and you encountered problems concerning your safety, you should stop it already or make a change instead, and look for ways where you can feel better.