Volunteering is rewarding, fun, and good for the soul! No matter your age, there are volunteering opportunities for you. However, this act of service can be even more beneficial for the senior community.
If you’re recently retired and need something to fill your free time, consider volunteering. Organizations, events, and groups always need an extra helping hand. In fact, you may be able to give back with skills you’ve learned in your career!
Keep reading to learn even more reasons why you should volunteer as a senior.
1. Give back to the community
One of the most important reasons to volunteer involves the lasting impact on the community. For example, when you volunteer at a local food bank, you see firsthand how a full belly can improve someone’s life. When you volunteer at a library, you help the community become more educated. No matter where you volunteer, you can improve the lives of those around you!
Organizations around the country consistently need volunteers. As you may have more free time than ever, you can now fit volunteering into your schedule. Even if you volunteer once a month for a few hours, that can still have a lasting impact on your local community, helping it thrive!
2. Connect with others who share common interests
As you’re enjoying your retirement, you may love having the extra time in your day. However, seniors sometimes feel isolated and lonely when they’re no longer working. Over time, this can cause depression, possibly leading to a number of health problems.
When you volunteer, this allows you to connect with others who share common interests. Not only does this allow you to socialize more and have a genuine connection with someone, but it can also lead to developing new friendships, benefiting your health and well-being.
If you’re looking to make new friends and help out the community at the same time, volunteering could be the solution for you!
3. Stay active
Another top benefit of volunteering is the ability to stay active and exercise! In fact, several volunteering roles allow you to exercise and boost your physical health. For example, you could walk dogs for the Humane Society, which is healthy for both yourself and the pet. You could also help build homes or structures for an organization, allowing you to break a sweat and stay active.
Not only can these opportunities create a lasting impact on the community, but these activities can also prevent several diseases and injuries. Furthermore, getting out there and staying active can encourage others to do the same.
4. Learn something new
Are you feeling bored in your everyday life? Need a little excitement? If so, go out and try something new through volunteering! These opportunities can create experiences you’ll never forget, and you may even learn new skills. Furthermore, you can take these skills with you and apply them to other aspects of your life.
As you probably have more free time during retirement, this is the perfect opportunity to broaden your horizons. Not only can you help others by doing this, but you can also work to sharpen your mind and grow intellectually. Also, who doesn’t love learning a new hobby and expanding a skillset?
5. Prevent isolation
Isolation is a growing problem for seniors around the country. When we retire, we tend to spend less time with friends and colleagues, which can lead to feelings of depression. Volunteering forces you to get out of the home and spend time with others, which can help prevent these difficult moments of feeling alone.
When you volunteer regularly, people will depend on you for your offerings, giving you purpose in life. As we get older, finding things that give us purpose is essential, which also leads to feeling a sense of responsibility.
6. Improve mental sharpness
As we talked about how volunteering can boost your physical health, your mental health can also see an improvement. Volunteering may even help to prevent dementia! According to the National Institute on Aging, engaging in meaningful social activities, such as volunteering, can increase longevity, boost mental health, and lower the chance of developing dementia or other cognitive problems.
While many seniors choose to fight loneliness by working part-time jobs when they retire, volunteering is a great alternative! You can make a difference in the community, find new friends, and stay physically and mentally healthy. If you’re ready to change your life for the better, start volunteering today!
