5 Ways that volunteering can improve your health

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Although it is easy to tell people that helping the meals on wheels movement is important it is also relevant to uphold what volunteering can really do for people’s day to day lives.  Here are the top five reasons why you should volunteer for the meals on wheels or some other project.
1.       Improves self-esteem –
Often we look at such things as volunteering as benefiting the end user, but often is quite the opposite. Often the person volunteering gets much more out of the overall experience than the end user. Volunteering has been linked to building self-esteem, and delivering one of the most basic items to those in need is a sure fire way to have a major boost on your overall personal self-confidence.
2.       Builds Community
Often in today’s world we look at the community around us and it seems all but lost in the wake of social media and our self-serve society. Through volunteering you’re not only making your community better, but you are also connecting with people that you would never have the chance to meet before in your community. Building up your community around you not only benefits the surrounding areas but can also relate back to building up your own personal self-esteem.
3.       Increase socializing
Again this relates to building bonds with the people you interact with as well as the people you work with. These bonds that you form can be some of the best you will realize in your adult life. As well as get you off your butt from surfing the internet for the next best cat picture.
4.       Develops Emotional Stability
“Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, low self-esteem, and even Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have all been helped by volunteering. When people with OCD, PTSD, or anger management issues volunteer, they feel more connected to others. They have an increased sense of purpose. Connection and meaning translate to decreased symptoms and improved social function.” (1)
5.       Reduces Risk of Alzheimer’s
“Alzheimer’s disease has become a frightening possibility for millions of individuals in the U.S. and globally. However, some research has shown that people who volunteer may be at lower risk of dementia from 65 years on Studies from the Journal of Gerontology indicate that social service improves elasticity in the brain. As volunteers age, they may be able to maintain the connections in their brains that often break down in Alzheimer’s patients. Any social interaction can help delay or prevent Alzheimer’s, and volunteering can be a wonderful way to do that.” (2)
Overall from just from these five reasons we can see the positive impact that volunteering can have on not only your community, but also your personal health. Hopefully people can see this post and realize all that they have to gain from participating in our program. I recently have started to volunteering and it has done nothing but improve my mood and self-esteem.   
 
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