A Look into The Mental And Physical Benefits Of Giving Back – Why Volunteering May Be More Important Than Ever
Doing good through volunteering can actually make you feel good.
BY Jen Kent
The spark for a lifetime of giving back can be small.
Anne Kumor fondly remembers a tiny treasure – a charitable-giving pin on her father’s lapel – as the catalyst for her interest in volunteering.
“I remember him wearing a lapel pin saying that he gave, and he was very proud to wear that on his jacket,” explains Kumor, now 69. When she initially inquired about the pin, her father explained that he was helping to support their community. “I grew up in a household where we paid attention to what was going on in the community.”
That childhood interest and her father’s example grew into a lifelong commitment to volunteerism. Kumor, a Michigan native, relocated to Milwaukee in the late 1970s and spent her entire career at Johnson Controls, which she says had a strong culture of civic involvement and ties to the local United Way.
And so, when Kumor retired in 2017, she vowed to devote more of her free time to volunteering, particularly with the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County. A former systems engineer, Kumor was particularly drawn to the nonprofit’s Techquity effort.
The program, begun as a response to the COVID pandemic, provides devices and digital resources to people with technology needs. She volunteers multiple times a month with United Way initiatives, including the Backpack Coalition, Safe and Stable Homes, and the Diaper Bank.
The purpose of her volunteerism is to serve others, of course, but she notices benefits for herself, too.
“When I know I have something [with the United Way] on my calendar, I wake up energized,” muses Kumor. “I wake up with a smile on my face. I get in there, and I’m working with other people who want to be there. … I’m working with people who have a common drive. Even though we come from different backgrounds, we all have a drive to be of service. That connection is always there. … It’s a common bond that brings us together, and that feels good.”
A BEVY OF EVIDENCE supports the mental and physical benefits that Kumor describes. A 2008 analysis by a professor from The London School of Economics indicated that volunteering is highly associated with greater health and happiness, while a 2013 study from Carnegie Mellon University found that adults over the age of 50 who regularly volunteered were less likely to develop high blood pressure than non-volunteers. Furthermore, a 2019 study by two U.K. professors suggested that volunteering creates meaningful social roles and gives volunteers a sense of purpose, with participants citing benefits like building confidence and resilience.
“When you do volunteer activities, it’s not [about] the task itself,” notes occupational therapist and UW-Milwaukee associate professor Bhagwant S. Sindhu, who has devoted much of his work and research to helping people improve their health and well-being. “It’s that you’re surrounded by people. And when you’re surrounded by people, there is social well-being. You’re communicating with people. You’re laughing with people. All those things allow you to forget about your own stressors – or put them on the side.”
Neurologically speaking, the feedback loop that is activated by more superficial tasks, such as spending or earning money, is short-lived, explains Sindhu, while the feedback loop that is triggered when engaged in social activities or volunteering is much longer-lasting.
“And that leads to well-being,” he adds. “We are paying attention to an issue that is beyond ourselves.” Moreover, a study published by Rush University earlier this year found that social activity can strengthen neural circuits in the brain, and perhaps even be used to reduce dementia.
It’s possible that, given its ability to connect people, volunteering is more important than ever, Sindhu argues. Volunteering is a core piece of social capital, which he says is critical to physical, mental and cognitive well-being – and is far more scarce in recent decades in the U.S. “There is a decline in social capital, but there is an increase in mental health disorders,” adds Sindhu, who notes that one in five U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year.
The “why” behind the decline is multifaceted, but Sindhu attributes much of it to the disheartening fact that Americans are spending more time at work and less time with their families and in their communities. “Since the pandemic, the social interactions that were happening in workplaces have gone down, as well,” he adds.
The isolation and anxiety of the COVID-19 pandemic may have also been a contributing factor – a correlation that Sindhu says he has observed firsthand, but one he admits is not yet rooted in research. “The fear that came [with the pandemic] could potentially be affecting individuals in a way where they are focusing more on individuality than collectivism. … In today’s time, I think volunteering becomes even more critical.”
Kumor remains steadfast in her unwavering drive to help others – and the undeniable benefits that accompany regular volunteerism. “Even though I may not see the people who are the ultimate beneficiaries, I know somebody out there needs whatever it is we’redoing,” she says. “It’s such a wonderful affirmation that there can be good in the community.”
Three Ways to Weave Volunteering Into Your Life
Start small. Time poverty is a very real thing, says Sindhu, so starting small is key. Spend half an hour every two weeks to start, he suggests, and be honest with yourself regarding how much you can handle.
Choose an organization or cause close to home or your workplace to avoid unnecessary travel time.
Release any feelings of guilt. “We should not feel guilty about not doing more,” Sindhu cautions, adding that he hopes more workplaces better support – or perhaps even incentivize – their employees to volunteer. In fact, research has shown that the number of hours a person volunteers is significant – and that those who volunteered more than 100 hours per year experienced stronger well-being benefits.