Embracing Your Purpose by Volunteering in Retirement

Volunteering During Retirement

Retirement for many of us is seen as a time where we have the opportunity to do things we’ve always wanted to do but never had the chance, whether that's travelling to a new country, rekindling old hobbies or volunteering. During retirement, many elders find that there is no longer the constant demands that are required from their career or family and feel what research calls the ‘empty nest syndrome’. This is where they experience a loss of purpose and meaning in life from being unemployed and retired. If this describes you, you’re not alone.

According to the age UK, more than 2 million elders over 75 live alone and more than a million say they go a month without talking to a friend, neighbour or family member. However, John who shares his story details how “volunteering changed my life and offered a replica of employment that I once had whilst allowing me to make a meaningful contribution to society.” Volunteering for some replaces the void they feel from being unemployed and not having a wide social network like John.

So if you’re fit and healthy, why not volunteer and use your skills to help those around you? It allows you to gain personal and professional rewards and make differences in lives. You can create an identity for yourself and find a purpose in life. The options are flexible to meet your needs whether its wanting to travel overseas or simply volunteer at a local charity store, they all allow your skills to be put into practice to create a powerful impact on organisations and others.

The Benefits of Volunteering

Physical Well-being

Physical activity plays an important role in an individual's overall physical health. During your job, you may not have realised how much it stimulates a good physical health by being out and about and following a regular structured routine. During retirement we are tempted to sit at home and relax whilst engaging in activities that were blocked out due to our career and other responsibilities.

However, volunteering surprisingly gives the biggest health boost both mentally and physically. For example, research in the Carnegie Mellon study found that volunteering correlated with lower blood pressure, improvements in memory and thinking skills through mentally stimulating activities, improves cardiovascular health and generally increases mortality rate.

Emotional Well-being

There is empirical evidence that highlights how volunteering can improve those with mental health conditions. Due to a loss of social roles and identity from unemployment, volunteering can help bring you close with others in a community allowing you to build social capital and have a higher level of social connectedness. Being able to integrate with society and build new relationships has shown to combat depression and loneliness found in millions of retired elders by regaining ties with the millions of volunteers by your side.

This enables you to adopt a new role and identity. It can help strengthen friendships, create new ones, exposing you to individuals with similar experiences and interests. In a study, this “connection” between individuals with the same experiences contributed to reducing depression experienced by volunteers. For example, Maria, a volunteer at the British Heart foundation, explains how volunteering changed her life as it gave her “a sense of purpose that let me interact with others my age, who were going through similar experiences”.

Perfect Time and Place to Volunteer

The final reason as to why you should volunteer is simply because now is the time. After retirement you are free from the constraints of employment and responsiblities that come with family and friends, giving you more time to contribute your skills to something more rewarding. It gives an opportunity to create more memoties and go through life-changing expriences that volunteering can bring.

Choosing the right place to volunteer is an important process before you star volunteering. To experience the most out of your new voluntary role, this decision must be made wisely. To find out the right place, first identify what interests or excites you. This can be something you enjoyed in the past or something you new you would like to contribute to. Maria, from the british heart foundation knew that “volunteering at the British Heart Foundation is something I have been doing since close friend died from heart disease and being able to contribute in an organisation that aims to tackle heart problems is rewarding”

Secondly, identify the skills and time you will be avilable to give. You have to be aware that all organisations are not perfect and have limitations despite the rewards. Being aware of these downfalls allows you to evluate whether the role will be suited to you depending on your needs or circumstances, allowing you to withdraw when necessary. And lastly, ask around. There are simply so many opporunities out there but you can try visiting your local volunteer centre, talk to family or friends that will be more than willing to help out.