4 Unexpected Benefits of Volunteering

Life can get crazy, and it can be hard to squeeze everything we want to accomplish into each day. For example, an H&R Block survey found that the average American is putting off 14 things on their to-do list! If that sounds familiar, we may have an unexpected solution for you: take advantage of the benefits of volunteering.

Volunteering may be the last thing on your mind at the moment, but its benefits are worth the time and effort. For example, it can help you advance your career, raise awareness of important causes, gain confidence, and alleviate loneliness. Here’s how.

Advance Your Career

If you volunteer in a field you want to go into, you can gain valuable career-specific skills or become more comfortable in that field. For example, if you’re interested in senior care, you could volunteer in a nursing home once the statewide lockdown has been lifted. Doing so will allow you to learn more about the career paths and skill sets you would need to be hired. Plus, you’ll meet people who can put in a good word for you when you’re seeking a new job or promotion.

Raise Awareness of Important Causes

Is there a cause you really care about? Animals? Education? Voting? Volunteering can be a great way not only to support a cause you are passionate about but also to raise awareness of that cause. You can tell people, “I volunteer at the animal shelter. It’s extremely rewarding, and here’s why!” Your volunteer work can add an extra level of conviction to your passion, which can really help bring home your point when you’re advocating for it.

Gain Confidence as You Break Out of Your Comfort Zone

There’s something about helping others that gives you a boost in confidence. Maybe it’s just that you know you’re doing something worthwhile, whether it’s teaching English to new immigrants, delivering meals to the homebound, or helping maintain a dog park. Whatever the reason, volunteering boosts your confidence as you step out of your comfort zone, learn new skills, and disrupt your regular routine.

Alleviate Loneliness

Volunteering gets you out of the house and introduces you to other people. But beyond that, it makes you a part of something bigger than yourself. That sense of purpose can help you feel like you belong and dispel loneliness that so often accompanies us in our digital age.

The benefits of volunteering go beyond what you might expect. Volunteering can help you advance your career, raise awareness of important causes, gain confidence, and alleviate loneliness. Once quarantine is over, take a look at these volunteer opportunities in Anaheim or virtual volunteer opportunities and see how volunteering can change your life for the better.