Volunteering and Its Surprising Benefits 志愿服務及其意想不到的好處

付小燕

Volunteering can help you make friends， learn new skills， advance your career， and even feel happier and healthier.

The benefits of volunteering can be enormous. Volunteering offers vital help to people in need， worthwhile causes， and the community， but the benefits can be even greater for you， the volunteer.

Benefit 1： Volunteering connects you to others

One of the more well-known bene-fits 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.

Making new friends and contacts

One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a shared activity together. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people， especially if you are new to an area. It strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network， exposing you to people with common interests， neighborhood resources， and fun and fulfilling activities.

Increasing your social and relationship skills

While some people are naturally outgoing， others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills， since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests. Once you have momentum， it’s easier to branch out and make more friends and contacts.

Benefit 2： Volunteering is good for your mind and body

Volunteering helps counteract the effects of stress， anger， and anxiety. Nothing relieves stress better than a meaningful connection to another person. Working with pets and other animals has also been shown to improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety.

Volunteering combats depression. Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system， which in turn protects you against depression.

Volunteering makes you happy. By measuring hormones and brain activity， researchers have discovered that being helpful to others delivers immense pleasure. Human beings are hard-wired to give to others. The more we give， the happier we feel.

Volunteering increases self-confidence. You are doing good for others and the community， which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity. And the better you feel about yourself， the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals.

Volunteering provides a sense of purpose. Older adults， especially those who have retired or lost a spouse， can find new meaning and direction in their lives by helping others. Whatever your age or life situation， volunteering can help take your mind off your own worries， keep you mentally stimulated， and add more zest to your life.

Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy. Studies have found that those who volunteer have a lower mortality rate than those who do not. Older volunteers tend to walk more， find it easier to cope with everyday tasks， are less likely to develop high blood pressure， and have better thinking skills. Volunteering can also lessen symptoms of chronic pain and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Benefit 3： 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 wings1 at work once you’ve honed these skills in a volunteer position first.

Teaching you valuable job skills

Just because volunteer work is unpaid does not mean the skills you learn are basic. Many volunteering opportunities provide extensive training. For example， you could become an experienced crisis counselor while volunteering for a women’s shelter or a know-ledgeable art historian while donating your time as a museum docent2.

Volunteering can also help you build upon skills you already have and use them to benefit the greater community. For instance， if you hold a successful sales position， you can raise awareness for your favorite cause as a volunteer advocate， while further developing and improving your public speaking， communication， and marketing skills.

Gaining career experience

Volunteering offers you the chance to try out a new career without making a long-term commitment. It is also a great way to gain experience in a new field. In some fields， you can volunteer directly at an organization that does the kind of work you’re interested in. For example， if you’re interested in nursing， you could volunteer at a hospital or a nursing home.

Benefit 4： 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 escape3 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 over4 into your personal and professional life.

Many people volunteer in order to make time for hobbies outside of work as well. For instance， if you have a desk job and long to spend time outdoors， you might consider volunteering to help plant a community garden， walk dogs for an animal shelter， or help out at a children’s camp.

志愿服務可以幫助你結交新朋友、學習新技能、促進職業(yè)發(fā)展，甚至讓你更快樂、更健康。

志愿服務能給你帶來巨大好處。它為需要幫助的人、有價值的事業(yè)和社區(qū)提供至關重要的幫助，但對于志愿者而言，好處會更多。

好處1：志愿服務將你與他人聯(lián)系起來

志愿服務對社區(qū)產(chǎn)生影響，這一好處人們比較熟悉。志愿服務使你能夠與社區(qū)建立聯(lián)系，讓它變得更加美好。即使是幫助完成最微不足道的任務，也能使那些需要幫助的人、動物和組織的生活大有不同。志愿服務是雙向的：志愿服務不僅讓你選擇幫助的事業(yè)受益，還會讓你和家人獲益。投入時間從事志愿活動可以幫助你結交新朋友、拓展人脈并提高社交技能。

結識新朋友、拓展人脈圈

結識新朋友、鞏固現(xiàn)有人際關系的最佳方式之一就是共同參與一項活動。志愿服務是結識新朋友的一個絕佳方式，尤其是當你剛到一個地方的時候。志愿活動能夠加強你與社區(qū)的聯(lián)系、拓寬社會支持網(wǎng)絡，讓你有機會接觸有共同興趣的人、社區(qū)資源以及各種有趣而充實的活動。

提高社交和人際交往技能

有些人天生外向，而有的人則生性害羞，很難結識新朋友。志愿服務讓你有機會鍛煉并培養(yǎng)社交技能，因為你會定期與一群有共同興趣的人會面。一旦有了動力，就更容易拓展社交圈，結交更多朋友、拓展人脈。

好處2：志愿服務有益身心

參加志愿服務有助于緩解壓力、憤怒和焦慮帶來的影響。與另一個人保持有意義的聯(lián)系最能緩解壓力。事實證明，與寵物和其他動物一起工作也可以改善情緒、緩解壓力和焦慮情緒。

志愿服務可以對抗抑郁。志愿服務讓你與他人經(jīng)常保持聯(lián)系，并幫助你建立穩(wěn)固的社會支持體系，從而保護你免受抑郁情緒的困擾。

志愿服務讓人快樂。通過監(jiān)測荷爾蒙和腦部活動，研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)幫助他人會帶來巨大的快樂。為他人付出是人類的天性。付出越多，我們就越快樂。

志愿服務可以增強自信心。當你為他人和社區(qū)做好事時，成就感油然而生。志愿者這一角色也能給人帶來自豪感和認同感。人們自我感覺越好，越有可能積極看待自己的生活和未來的目標。

志愿服務使人產(chǎn)生目標感。年長的人，尤其是已經(jīng)退休或失去配偶的老年人，可以通過幫助他人重新找到生活的意義和方向。無論你多大年紀、生活狀況如何，志愿服務都可以使你忘卻煩惱、振奮精神、對待生活更加熱情。

志愿服務有助于保持身體健康。研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，志愿者的死亡率低于不做志愿者的人。年齡較大的志愿者往往愿意多走路，能更輕松處理日常事務，患高血壓的可能性較小，思維能力也更強。志愿服務還能緩解慢性疼痛癥狀、降低患心臟病的風險。

好處3：志愿服務可以促進職業(yè)發(fā)展

如果你正在考慮從事新職業(yè)，志愿服務可以幫助你在自己感興趣的領域獲得經(jīng)驗并結識該領域的人。即使你不打算轉行，志愿服務也讓你有機會實踐工作場所用到的重要技能，例如團隊合作、溝通交流、解決問題、項目規(guī)劃、任務管理及組織籌劃等方面的能力。如果你在志愿者崗位上提前磨煉了這些技能，在將來的工作中你會更容易上手。

教你寶貴的工作技能

僅僅因為志愿工作沒有報酬并不意味著你只能學到基本技能。許多志愿服務崗位提供范圍廣泛的培訓。例如，在你為女性庇護所提供志愿服務的同時有望成為一名經(jīng)驗豐富的危機顧問，或者在你為博物館做義務講解員的同時有望成為一名知識淵博的藝術史學家。

志愿服務還可以幫助你在已有技能的基礎上發(fā)展，利用這些技能造福更大的社會群體。例如，如果你是一名成功的銷售人員，你可以作為志愿倡導者提高人們對你最喜歡的事業(yè)的認識，同時進一步培養(yǎng)、提高你的演講、溝通和營銷能力。

獲得職業(yè)經(jīng)驗

志愿服務為你提供了無須長期承諾即可嘗試新職業(yè)的機會。這也是獲得新領域經(jīng)驗的好方法。在某些領域，你可以直接到有自己感興趣工作的相關機構擔任志愿者。例如，如果你對護理感興趣，就可以去醫(yī)院或養(yǎng)老院擔任志愿者。

好處4：志愿服務為生活帶來樂趣和成就感

志愿服務是一種發(fā)掘興趣和愛好的有趣而輕松的方式。從事你認為有意義且又有趣的志愿工作可以使你擺脫日常工作、學業(yè)或家庭事務，讓你放松且充滿活力。志愿服務還能使你重新獲得創(chuàng)造力、動力和遠見，可以用到你個人生活和職業(yè)生涯中。

許多人做志愿者也是為了給工作之外的愛好騰出時間。例如，如果你從事的是辦公室工作，渴望待在戶外，就可以考慮在社區(qū)公園幫忙栽種植物、為動物收容所遛狗或是在兒童營地當義工。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎者;單位：南京師范大學中北學院）