8 Amazing Personal Benefits of Overseas Volunteer Work
Everyone should set aside time to do volunteer work at some point in their lives. The feeling that comes with knowing you helped somebody is incredible.
Whether you’ve given money to a charity or helped package food for refugees, every bit helps and makes you feel better about yourself. That being said, there are those that like to go above and beyond, even by the standards of charity.
There’s plenty of overseas volunteer work to be done in the world, and it can offer a lot of benefits. We’ll go over just a few of these benefits in the paragraphs below.
1. New Friends
Whether you’re very shy or the life of the party, volunteering is a great way to make new friends. After all, you already know you’re passionate about charity, and you both chose to go to this particular country to do this specific task. It may not seem like it, but that’s a lot to build on.
You’ll also be spending a lot of time with these people, which means the bonds you form with them are likely to be strong.
2. Overseas Volunteer Work Exposes Us to Diversity
When it comes to culture there’s no such thing as being over-exposed. The truth is that we can all benefit from learning more about the world and the people we share it with.
These experiences can teach us practical skills, such as new languages and even cause us to see the world in a different way. Travel can even add a new sense of depth and gravity to something you already know about.
For instance, you may have read about the Battle of Gettysburg in history class, to use a more local example. However, it may speak to you in a whole new way when you actually stand on the battlefield in Pennsylvania.
History, especially when we view it up close, has a way of keeping us humble.
3. Volunteer Work Has Psychological Benefits
Charity helps you like yourself just a little bit more, and liking yourself does you a lot of good. One of the most notable upsides to volunteering is that it makes you happier, and being happy comes with its own long list of benefits.
Volunteering also lowers your risk of anxiety and depression. This ties in more to the social aspect than anything else.
One of the easiest ways to lose your mind and willpower is to be alone for too long. This is why solitary confinement is considered inhumane by many. Prolonged isolation can cause mental health issues and worsen existing ones.
Meanwhile, having a good network of friends, family, and associates helps to make us far more well-adjusted. You don’t need to be a social butterfly, you just need people to talk to every now and then.
4. Career Opportunities
Work of any kind gives you more experience, and experience leads to skills. Even if you’re just stocking shelves or packing boxes, it’s still something you can put on a resume.
Charity activity in itself is a benefit. It shows that you are outgoing and care a lot about the world around you, both of which are great traits in any job.
5. Physical Health
The health benefits of volunteering are more than just mental. There are several physical benefits as well.
The most obvious physical benefit is that it gives you the opportunity to be active. It also reduces stress and helps lower your risk of several conditions, including Alzheimer’s and heart disease.
For these reasons and a few more, those who volunteer tend to live longer. You can find out more about some volunteering opportunities by clicking the link.
6. Greater Social Skills
We’ve already mentioned that charity work is a great way to make new friends, but it’s more than that. Between meeting new people and interacting with the community you’re working in, you tend to develop more social skills.
Volunteering can also help us to become more confident, so if you’re the type who wants to be less shy, volunteer work may be a good idea.
7. Having Fun
Honestly, we don’t really give enough credit to having fun these days. We see it as something impractical that should be ignored in favor of more tangible benefits.
While there’s nothing wrong with trying to set yourself up for success, fun isn’t something that should just be cast aside. One of the biggest measures of a successful life is whether or not it was worth living.
Decades from now, when we’ve paid most of our taxes and put our kids through college and saved up enough money to keep ourselves comfortable in our old age, what will have to look back on? If we haven’t set aside any time to make happy memories, what was the point?
8. Helping People
Let’s not forget the reason volunteer work exists in the first place. It’s not about us. It’s about changing some little corner of the world and ultimately making it a better place for all of us.
Many people worry about whether their life will have a purpose, whether it will have been worth it in the grand scheme of things. Volunteering makes this go away. Volunteering ensures that somebody’s life is better because of you.
Enjoy the Benefits of Volunteering
Overseas volunteer work can do a lot for us. In addition to the emotional and social benefits of volunteer work, there are also psychological benefits. We become healthier, happier people when we volunteer.
Volunteering can also help us understand diversity in a more personal way. Along with the skills we gain by volunteering, this increased understanding can help in whatever career we choose.
It’s also a great way to help people while also having fun, and that’s worth a lot more than the world would have you think.
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