Giving Back Can Improve Your Well-Being

One of the first pieces of advice that Dan Buettner, founder of Blue Zones, always gives as a way to improve your life, health, and happiness is to sign up to volunteer in your community. It’s a long-term investment in your health and in your city if you sign up to do it regularly, and chances are you’ll meet like-minded people along the way.

In Hawai‘i, we use this principle by highlighting local volunteer opportunities and creating opportunities for groups to volunteer together or for individuals to participate in on their own. Whether it's picking up litter at a beach, sending letters to kūpuna, or distributing food boxes to families, it's been proven that helping others benefits our own health, just as it benefits those we serve. By donating our time and efforts, we not only improve our health and happiness but also create a new circle of social networks, which thus improves our lives and the community as a whole.

Volunteering helps because you can see right away the effects of your contribution and commitment. Research shows that participating as a volunteer with others in a group cause boosts self-confidence and decreases the risk of depression, especially in the elderly population. Lowered levels of stress hormones have been documented in those who volunteer, versus those who don’t. Social benefits include a new network of friends with shared interests and a sense of purpose. At the same time, volunteers learn new skills.

While volunteer opportunities may look a little different this year, there are many ways you can make a positive impact on your community in the safety of your own home. Hawai'i students (grades K-12), families, schools, and youth organizations are invited to serve during Virtual Volunteer Week Hawai'i, set for April 18-24, 2021. This year's theme, "Let's Grow Together" challenges youth to find simple ways to serve the community, creating a healthier, happier place to live, learn, and play. All student registrants will receive free packets of seeds in the mail to kickstart their growing journey.

Tell us in the comments how you plan on volunteering this month!

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