06 Nov Volunteer…why it’s so good for your health and happiness!
by Hilary Young from the Huffington Post
It's one of the first lessons we learn as children — "sharing means caring." We might not understand why we have to share at first, especially when there are younger siblings involved, but as we grow into adulthood, sharing becomes an essential part of your social and career success.
So does it come as a surprise to learn that research now proves that sharing your time with others for a good cause can improve your overall happiness and mental well-being? It turns out that Baby Boomers give more total dollars to charities than any other generation. According to Forbes, Boomers are responsible for 34 percent of all charitable donations, which amounts to nearly $61.9 billion every year.
And according to the data collected by Volunteering In America, Boomers spent about 3.6 million hours volunteering for organizations or causes they are passionate about.
These generous Boomers seem to have tapped into volunteerism at an opportune time; two new studies have recently confirmed that there are significant health benefits to giving back.
UnitedHealth Group commissioned a national survey of 3,351 adults and found that the overwhelming majority of participants reported feeling mentally and physically healthier after a volunteer experience.
-
76 percent of people who volunteered in the last twelve months said that volunteering has made them feel healthier
-
94 percent of people who volunteered in the last twelve months said that volunteering improved their mood
-
78 percent of them said that volunteering lowered their stress levels
-
96 percent reported that volunteering enriched their sense of purpose in life
-
80 percent of them feel like they have control over their health
-
About a quarter of them reported that their volunteer work has helped them manage a chronic illness by keeping them active and taking their minds off of their own problems
-
Volunteers have better personal scores than non-volunteers on nine well-established measures of emotional wellbeing including personal independence, capacity for rich interpersonal relationships and overall satisfaction with life.
-
Volunteering also improved their mood and self-esteem
…keep reading more about how volunteering will boost your happiness and health HERE