Have you considered Volunteering your Time to help others? There are many benefits for both the volunteer and the organisations that you volunteer for.
It’s true that we all have many competing responsibilities
in our busy lives. There are times when it can be hard to figure out how you will ever get
everything done. Whilst it may sound counter-intuitive spending some of your
time volunteering for a worthy cause just may be the thing you need to get
things moving on the right track.
As I said volunteering your time is something that benefits
not just the organisations and other recipients
of your contribution, but it can also improve your life too!
Here are seven reasons why you may benefit from
volunteering some of your time:
Making New Friends
All of us to some extent are social creatures. We are meant
to genuinely and authentically connect with others. Volunteering your time is a
natural, organic way to meet others who share the same interests.
Building Personal and Professional Connections
If it’s not something you are used to then “Networking” may
sound a bit odd. However, in this day and age, it is necessary to meet other people so you can gain exposure
to new experiences and opportunities. Volunteering is an excellent way to build
personal and professional contacts without traditional “networking”, if that’s
not really your style.
Building Your Self-esteem and Self-confidence
If you find yourself struggling with self-esteem and confidence,
volunteer! You will feel great about contributing to a cause greater than
yourself, and as you accomplish different tasks, you will learn new skills and find
yourself growing more competent in the area of your choosing.
To Make a Difference in the World
Do you ever find yourself thinking that there is too much
greed, evil, poverty or other issues in the world? Do you wish there was
something that you were able to do about
it? You may not be able to change the whole world but through volunteering you
can make a difference in your community or around issues that you are passionate
about! You will find that you can experience a sense of purpose by making a
difference in the world. If when deciding how you are going to go about
volunteering your time you choose a
cause that truly resonates with what you feel are the big problems of the world
we inhabit.
Add Experience to Your CV
Very few of us nowadays are in the same jobs or even the same career for ourr entire adult lives.
Yet, if you are looking for a career change that represents a big departure
from your current skillset, then you are going to discover that there’s a bit
of a catch-22 scenario.
Without experience on your resume, nobody will give you a solid
chance. But without a solid chance, you’ll never get relevant experience.
What do you do?
Volunteer, of course!
If you really want to break into a new sector or feel
tempted to test the waters of a life change, why not consider volunteering a
few hours at a time to help fill in the gaps on your CV while helping a cause
you care for?
Improving your Health
One often overlooked benefit of volunteering is that it
could help improve your health.
Depending on the volunteer activity you select, you could
gain some valuable outdoor time, which would improve your physical health. You
could also try something nurturing and
soothing for your mental health like keeping lonely senior citizens company at
nursing homes. Or you could even try something spiritually uplifting like going
Christmas caroling during the holiday season.
There are many options and many ways volunteering could benefit
your health – you have to be creative with selection.
Having Fun!
Last but not least, one of the real benefits of
volunteering your time is that it can be
lots of fun! Maybe you get a group of friends together and go on a beach or
local park/community area clean-up day.
Or you do a charity fundraiser walk.
The possibilities are truly endless!
Volunteering Your Time Conclusion
You really will get a
lot more out of your volunteer experience than you put in. Take a look at some
of the causes looking for volunteers in your neighborhood today, and see which
may be a good fit for your personality and your lifestyle.
You will gain so much more than you contribute on so many
levels – and you really will be happy you gave it a go.
