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Ayden Hector discussed how volunteering benefits your physical and mental health
Volunteer work can be a powerful force in your life, says Ayden Hector. It can help you feel connected to others and give you a sense of purpose. It can also help you stay active and get your mind off your troubles.
Volunteering provides you with various physical and mental health benefits. You can also make new friends through volunteering and develop a support network that can help you in your future career and personal life!
This article will discuss the physical and mental health benefits of volunteering and how to get involved in your community!
Mental Health
Research has shown that volunteering can help people with mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, lead happier and healthier lives. For example, volunteering can help individuals with anxiety disorders to feel less stressed and more in control of their lives. It can also help with depression by improving mood and self-esteem.
People with mental health disorders often feel isolated and alone. Volunteering can help with this isolation by bringing you into contact with other people. It can also give you a sense of community and belonging.
Volunteering also releases serotonin and oxytocin–feel god chemicals that fight the symptoms of depression and anxiety and make us feel more connected to those around us.
Staying Active
In a world that encourages screen time and other sedentary activities, staying active is more important than ever! Luckily, most volunteer opportunities involve being physically active in one way or another, Ayden Hector says.
Whether you’re walking puppies at the shelter, packing lunches for Meals on Wheels, or building houses with Habitat for Humanity, you will get a dose of physical activity with your volunteering. This releases serotonin and dopamine, improving happiness and making it more likely that you’ll continue volunteering!
Building Confidence and Self-Esteem
Many people who volunteer say they become more confident and feel more self-esteem, Ayden Hector explains. This is because volunteering helps you develop and demonstrate many healthy traits, such as:
- Independence
- Responsibility
- Self-motivation
- Leadership
- Commitment
As you build these skills and recognize them in yourself, you’ll feel your self-esteem grow. And that helps you accomplish even more! It’s a symbiotic cycle that helps you become the person you want to be.
Improved Communication Skills
One of the great things about volunteering is that it teaches you new skills that can help you in your professional life and your personal life. For example, you could learn to deliver a presentation or give a speech. You could also improve your writing, grammar, and other communication techniques.
Volunteering also allows you to practice and improve your communication skills by interacting with other people. If you volunteer long enough, you may find yourself in charge of a group or leading a team, which requires a different kind of communication.
Developing Decision-Making Skills Says Ayden Hector
Volunteering can improve decision-making skills by showing you how to prioritize and balance your time. For example, you might learn that you cannot fit everything you want to do into your schedule. Or, you might have to make tough decisions about programming or services based on the available budget. As you become more confident, you’ll find that making difficult decisions becomes easier, says Ayden Hector.