Altruistic Volunteering
While
most people volunteer in order to help others, they’ve likely experienced
positive feelings or even a “helper’s high” at the same time. Who volunteered with some regularity lived longer, but
only if their intentions were truly altruistic. In other words, they had to be
volunteering to help others—not to make themselves feel better.Now,
a new study has found that volunteering can not only improve the volunteers’
sense of self, but can reduce their risk of mortality.The study, the first meta-analysis to
look at the association between volunteering and mortality, was published in
the journal Psychology and Aging.
Mental health benefits
of volunteering.
Studies have shown that volunteering helps people who
donate their time feel more socially connected, thus warding off loneliness and
depression. But I was surprised to learn that volunteering has positive
implications that go beyond mental health. A growing body of evidence suggests
that people who give their time to others might also be rewarded with better physical health—including lower blood
pressure and a longer lifespan.
Adults
over age 50 who volunteered on a regular basis were less likely to develop high
blood pressure than non-volunteers. High blood pressure is an important indicator of health
because it contributes to heart disease, stroke, and premature death.
It’s
impossible for this study to prove that volunteering was directly responsible
for the lower blood pressure readings. People who volunteer may be more likely
to do other things, like eat a healthy diet or exercise, that lower blood
pressure. But the results are in line with other findings on the topic.
The benefits of
volunteering
How might volunteering
contribute to lower blood pressure? Performing volunteer work could increase
physical activity among people who aren’t otherwise very active, says lead
study author Rodlescia Sneed, a doctoral candidate in social and health
psychology at Carnegie Mellon University. It may also reduce stress. “Many
people find volunteer work to be helpful with respect to stress reduction, and
we know that stress is very strongly linked to health outcomes,” she says.
As with any activity
thought to improve health, researchers are trying to identify the specific
characteristics of volunteering that provide the greatest benefit.
Quote: "Altruistic volunteering is the real essence of volunteering" - Gaurav Kashyap
Edited By -Gaurav
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