We’re making it official – doing good is good for you! So, if you thought that volunteering or donating was just helping others, you’d be mistaken. Taking a little time and energy for someone else can have a significant impact not only on their lives, but your life and health too, and what’s not to love about that?!
Below we bring you the top 3 benefits (for you) of participating in charitable activities – and not just for the International Day of Charity. Plus we’ll tell you a little more on our experience – we don’t just preach, we practice, too!
Top 3 reasons doing good is good for you
1. You get that ‘helper’s high’
When you give your love, time and energy to others through voluntary activities or even donating some of your hard-earn cash, your brain rewards you for doing the right thing with an effective dose of those feel-good chemicals – serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. This combination counteracts your stress levels, helps to combat depressive symptoms, and, in general, makes you happier!
Aside from all that; trying out something new can help you find new meaning in life, which increases your overall satisfaction.
P.S. John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that it also improves your brain functions, too.
2. Deliver a boost to your social life
Unless you deeply enjoy solitary data-entry (and who doesn’t?!), volunteering tends to be a social activity. You get to communicate with others, talk to people, meet new faces. And all this expands your social circle.
We know more than a few couples you actually credit volunteering to how they met, and there’s definitely thousands of friendships that started that way. So, if you’re a little bored, looking for something new, or simply want to do something – doing good could be right for you.
3. Level up your career skills
We’ve said it before; charity isn’t a one-way street. While you’re spending your time and energy helping others, there is one major benefit that you might get in return – a level-up on your career skills.
Perhaps you want to try your hand at working with children or building a house or even marketing; charity provides a vast world of opportunity for you to get involved, test your skills and even learn new ones.
So, the next time you apply for that job or promotion, there won’t just be brownie points on your side, but some amazing talents too.
What we do at Verv
Just last month, we launched our Verv Giving program to help make the world of health and well-being even more accessible and inclusive for everyone.
We let the world know that in the very near future, we’ll be making our services more accessible to those with vision or hearing impairments – so, keep an eye out for those all-important updates.
But that’s not all. We’re pushing our commitment further by investing our time, energy, and finances into helping disabled athletes realize their potential as Paralympians.
We hope that in time we’ll see huge global change; raising disability awareness and making the world a more inclusive place.
We’ve dedicated ourselves to making that dream a reality – what will you do?
6 quick ideas for how you can give a little back
- Start small – start by doing one kind thing. This can be holding the door for someone, picking up trash in your building’s entrance, making your colleague a cup of coffee, or even buying a sandwich for someone a little less fortunate. It all matters.
- Pay it forward – when grabbing your morning cup of joe, why not leave a few dollars behind at the counter. Someone could be in need of that hot cup of tea.
- Give to charity – time is limited, but usually, most of us can spare a few cents, so choose a cause that’s meaningful to you and give, just a little.
- Volunteer – perhaps a voluntary vacancy piqued your interest, or you’re just seeking the next thrill. There are tons of great projects out there. Find the one for you.
- Start a community project – let that inner-entrepreneur out! Make a difference in your community by starting a local initiative and build a little more togetherness.
- Spend your money wisely – take care with the products and services you buy, choose to invest your dollars into companies that care and behave ethically.
