With our busy lives and schedules, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering are enormous not just to you but also to your family, and your community. The right match can help you reduce stress, find friends, connect with the community, learn new skills, and even advance your career. Giving to others can also help protect your mental and physical health.

Here’s how volunteering can benefit you;

Volunteering connects you to others

One of the more well-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Even helping out with the smallest tasks can make a real difference to the lives of people, animals, and organizations in need. And volunteering is a two-way street: It can benefit you and your family as much as the cause you choose to help. Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you make new friends, expand your network, and boost your social skills.

It staves off depression

If you’re someone who easily feels isolated in your day-to-day life, signing up for volunteer opportunities can help you reduce your risk of depression. It creates a simple yet reliable social support system and provides opportunities for people to take on important roles in the lives of others. So regardless of whether you’re interested in becoming a mentor, offering someone company or joining in a mission that’s larger than yourself, all signs point toward a happier existence.

It can reduce your stress levels

If you live a super hectic and competitive life throughout the majority of your week, using your off hours to volunteer can be one of the best stress management tools out there. The “happiness effect” that giving to others creates releases a flood of dopamine in your brain, boosting how you feel across the board. And the more time you spend volunteering, the better those feel-good hormones counter your not-so-fun cortisol levels. This stress buffer also helps you stave off illness down the line.

Volunteering can advance your career

If you’re considering a new career, volunteering can help you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the field. Even if you’re not planning on changing careers, volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, project planning, task management, and organization. You might feel more comfortable stretching your wings at work once you’ve honed these skills in a volunteer position first.

Volunteering brings fun and fulfillment to your life

Volunteering is a fun and easy way to explore your interests and passions. Doing volunteer work you find meaningful and interesting can be a relaxing, energizing escape from your day-to-day routine of work, school, or family commitments. Volunteering also provides you with renewed creativity, motivation, and vision that can carry over into your personal and professional life.