Volunteerism, Personal Development, and Health Benefits

Introduction: What Volunteerism Means

While an academic definition of volunteerism is any activity in which time and talent is given freely to deliver services or perform tasks to benefit another person, group, or cause with no direct financial compensation expected, volunteering is really just a more organized form of giving of ourselves — a way to contribute to shaping our own future and that of others.

Surveys show that most people believe that helping others has a positive effect on the general well-being of both the donor and the recipient. The positive relationship between subjective and objective well-being and volunteer work includes life satisfaction, self-esteem, and self-rated health. Volunteers also increase their opportunities to advance educational and occupational objectives, reinforcing the idea that volunteering benefits both the helper and the helped.

It has also been suggested that the degree of one's well-being in helping to redress the damaging effects of our modern-day culture of disconnection would facilitate a higher amount of volunteer work, thus reinforcing the fact that all of our actions contribute in some way to shaping our own future and that of others. According to recent studies on the personal benefits derived from volunteering — enjoyment of the activity, meeting new people and building friendships, the desire to make a real difference, and a sense of personal achievement — these were highlighted as key incentives. While such benefits are important, it is suggested that the maintenance of good health, by helping to halt the effects of psychological and physical diseases and disorders, is even more significant.

Health Benefits of Volunteering

Volunteering is a meaningful way for people to become integrated into their community. While many seek to explore their creative powers and sense of spiritual identity through helping others, they also derive numerous personal health benefits from these activities, including a sense of inner satisfaction while nurturing the well-being of the community. Volunteering increases one's physical health and agility; older persons who volunteer, in particular, have fewer medical problems and are less prone to heart disease and diabetes. Volunteering assumes an especially important role among the elderly because it can effectively protect them from the hazards of retirement, which may include feelings of worthlessness and depression — conditions that can accelerate physical decline and inactivity.

Volunteer activities help older persons stay physically active. As one researcher notes: "Older adults who engage in regular physical activity, whether moderate or intense, have lower incidences of heart disease and diabetes and are at lower risk for other cardiovascular diseases" (Trojcak).

Exchange theory assumes that people must act in a self-interested manner in order for social equilibrium to be achieved, placing their own interests before those of others. A competing theory, however, argues that people's identity is important and that many people think of themselves as the kind of person who helps others regardless of whether their actions receive praise (Hart et al. 1996; Schervish & Havens 1997:240). This identity-based theory, more than exchange theory, might explain why it is often easier to get people to sign up for risky, challenging, demanding work than for mundane, trivial, and routine tasks: "they want to be challenged by what they're doing, and they don't hesitate to do something that's going to be hard" (Chambre 1991:276).

Personal Development Through Volunteer Work

The challenge of volunteerism and personal development is to cultivate a positive attitude regarding one's values and overall life practices, and a greater sense of integration between oneself and the world. Important skills for the volunteer to develop include leadership, creative expression, role relationships, team building, innovation, collaborative problem-solving, conceptual thinking, and resourcefulness. It is also vital that the volunteer be perceptive enough to envision how objective experiences will affect his or her personal values, perceptions, and life goals, and how these in turn will shape his or her personal development (Volunteerism and Personal).

Volunteerism, many have observed, has little to do with being a "do-gooder." It is about valuing the person and increasing the value of social and human resources; it is about self-esteem and freely sharing one's talent and wisdom; it is about being valued, not paid; it is about empowerment, growth, and creativity; and it is about enhancing the community's quality of life — while also having fun in the process (Volunteering and Healthy Aging).

Conclusion: Volunteering as a Foundation for Well-Being

Promoting better health and well-being to both volunteers and persons in need of help, volunteerism and personal development form the pivot around which a social network that provides both emotional benefits and actual assistance in times of need revolves. For the recipient, the mere reassurance that help is available inspires positive feelings that act as a buffer against stress and illness. Studies have shown that a patient's disease-fighting ability or struggle for survival can be greatly strengthened by his or her own positive thoughts as well as comforting, reassuring words from people who genuinely care. People with increased social contact have fewer health risk factors, such as physical inactivity and high blood pressure.

"Volunteering makes people feel good about themselves, which translates into a general sense of health," notes Marianne Mills, Chief of Resource Education. "We have several important projects that volunteers can help us with this winter. Although the weather outside may be rough, the work is rewarding and the setting spectacular. Specific projects include: entering the park library and slide file into a computerized cataloguing program, conducting research into resource management topics, word processing, managing the park website, assisting with painting and carpentry, and developing educational materials and displays." Mills further notes, "Not all the benefits of volunteering are as ambiguous as 'a positive outlook.' Researchers are now comparing the feelings of euphoria many volunteers experience with 'runner's high'" (Studies Show).