Volunteering for wellbeing

In a world where mental health challenges are increasingly common, people are exploring a wide range of tools to support their wellbeing—therapy, exercise, mindfulness, and more. One often overlooked but powerful pathway to wellness is volunteering.

Volunteering isn't just about giving back—it's also about receiving. A growing body of research shows that volunteering can boost mental health, reduce feelings of loneliness, and increase life satisfaction. For those on a wellness journey, giving your time and skills to a cause can help you reconnect with yourself, others, and a broader sense of purpose.

But like any wellness tool, volunteering isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. To truly benefit, it’s important to choose roles that align with your energy, values, and current capacity.

The Mental Health Benefits of Volunteering

Volunteering can support wellbeing in several key ways:

1. Reducing Stress and Enhancing Mood
Helping others activates the brain’s reward system, releasing feel-good chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin. This can lift mood and reduce anxiety, especially when volunteering becomes a regular routine.

2. Building Social Connections
Many people experience loneliness or disconnection, particularly after life changes like moving cities, changing jobs, or retiring. Volunteering is a structured and low-pressure way to meet others, connect over shared values, and build new relationships.

3. Gaining Perspective and Meaning
Helping those in need or working for a meaningful cause can shift focus away from internal worries and broaden one’s perspective. Feeling useful and valued can restore a sense of agency and self-worth, particularly during periods of uncertainty or recovery.

4. Creating Routine and Purpose
For people recovering from burnout, depression, or anxiety, establishing regular habits and structure is key. Volunteering can offer this rhythm without the intensity or pressure of paid work, helping ease people back into a more active life.

Is Volunteering Right for You Right Now?

Before jumping in, it’s worth reflecting on your goals and readiness. Volunteering is most beneficial when it aligns with your current needs and doesn’t become another source of stress.

Ask yourself:
• What am I hoping to get from volunteering? (Connection, purpose, distraction, skill-building?)
• How much time and energy can I realistically give?
• What environments or types of people do I feel most comfortable around?
• Am I ready to be around others, or do I need something solo or low-contact to start with?
• Do I want a long-term commitment or something flexible and short-term?

Being honest about where you are can help you find a role that fits your life, rather than adding pressure to it.

Types of Volunteer Roles and How They Support Wellbeing

The beauty of volunteering is that it comes in many shapes and sizes. Here are some types of opportunities, along with how they can support your mental health and wellbeing:

1. Social and Community Roles
Examples: Helping at a food bank, community garden, or local event.
These roles are great for those wanting to feel part of something larger. They often involve teamwork, shared goals, and visible outcomes—great for building social bonds and seeing your impact in real time.

Wellbeing Benefit: Increased sense of belonging and teamwork; reduced isolation.

2. Compassionate Listening and Support
Examples: Volunteering on a helpline, befriending isolated seniors, mentoring youth.
These roles suit those who enjoy one-on-one connection and can offer empathy. They’re especially meaningful for people with lived experience of hardship who want to give back in a safe and supported way.

Wellbeing Benefit: Deep personal connection; emotional fulfilment; feeling of being trusted and needed.

3. Creative or Skill-Based Volunteering
Examples: Photography for a charity, helping with social media, building websites, writing newsletters.
If you’re creative or enjoy using specific skills, these roles allow you to contribute in a focused way, often from home or on your own schedule.

Wellbeing Benefit: Sense of mastery and contribution; confidence boost; flexible pace.

4. Nature-Based Volunteering
Examples: Conservation work, tree planting, helping with animal shelters or wildlife sanctuaries.
Nature-based roles combine physical activity, being outdoors, and supporting the environment—an excellent combination for stress relief and grounding.

Wellbeing Benefit: Improved mood, reduced anxiety, increased energy from outdoor activity.

5. Advocacy and Change-Making
Examples: Volunteering for social justice campaigns, climate advocacy, petitioning.
For people who feel passionate about social issues, these roles can transform frustration into action, providing a positive outlet for strong emotions and a way to feel empowered.

Wellbeing Benefit: Restores a sense of control and agency; connection with like-minded others.

Start Small and Be Kind to Yourself

Volunteering can be a powerful wellness tool, but it’s important not to overcommit or treat it as a “fix.” Start with something light, short-term, or even a one-off opportunity to test how it feels. Choose roles that energise rather than drain you, and don’t be afraid to step back or pause if needed.

Wellbeing is a journey, not a destination. Volunteering offers a chance to reconnect—with others, with purpose, and with yourself—on that journey. Whether you’re planting trees, sharing your story, answering a phone line, or simply making someone smile, every act of giving holds the potential to help you heal, grow, and thrive.

Written by: Cheryll Martin QSO, Volunteering Auckland