Providing unique opportunities for people to learn from each other and give support and encouragement are an invaluable part of joining forces with our peers:.
Being part of a shared space, whether physical or virtual, gives people the chance to be inspired, solve problems, share humour, vent their frustrations and share their achievements.
Bringing together like-minded people who are headed for the same goal undoubtedly, nurtures a rewarding and engaging community. Our Wellbeing Community is a virtual space for people that want to achieve the same goal: to live their best life!
Our engaging community is where members come together to continue and progress their wellbeing journey to achieve optimal mental, physical and emotional wellbeing in this forever changing fast-paced world. Stay informed and stay calm : Only share information from credible sources like your state department of health or the CDC.
Remember, when you stay calm, others will follow. Be prepared for hurricane season. It's important to understand how your community will respond if disaster strikes and adhere to guidance. Stay prepared by monitoring the weather, packing emergency supplies and planning an evacuation route. Take care of yourself and others: Practice patience, kindness and mindfulness.
Encourage others to do the same! Related Articles. Child Hunger in America Learn more about child hunger in America. Read More. 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.
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. Children watch everything you do.
Volunteering helps counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety. The social contact aspect of helping and working with others can have a profound effect on your overall psychological well-being. 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. People with disabilities or chronic health conditions can still benefit greatly from volunteering.
In fact, research has shown that adults with disabilities or health conditions ranging from hearing and vision loss to heart disease, diabetes or digestive disorders all show improvement after volunteering. Whether due to a disability, a lack of transportation, or time constraints, many people choose to volunteer their time via phone or computer.
A community that is safe, comfortable, and trusting can be so enticing that individuals can forget about the world outside of their community, or regard other communities with subtle prejudices. I am a member of the Sudbury community, an affluent suburb of Boston. While I work to give back to my community, I also need to spend some time away from Sudbury, to know what life is like in Bolivia, in the American South, or in Roxbury, the inner city neighborhood where the Food Project does a lot of its work.
I need to go to these places to remind myself that this way of life I am used to is not the only way or the best way. I need to be reminded that, while I give to my community, other communities are no less deserving.
I need to be reminded that when I form a connection with someone based on common experience, it is not because that someone is from Sudbury. It is because we are both human beings, and I am part of a global community. In the silence of an early morning walk recently, the crystal song of a scarlet red cardinal atop an oak tree awakened me more fully.
As I stood listening to him and his mate in a nearby tree serenading each other, a couple walking their dog joined me. Without speaking a word, it was clear we were enchanted by the gift of their song, and we joined together briefly in a community of celebration for the gifts of Nature. The new light, the morning hymn, and the momentary connection with other travelers evoked images from other communities. Each of these whether for learning, work, healing, prayer, or friendship creates for us a safe experience of belonging, purpose, and shared values.
In them, each of us encounters who we are and what our gifts are. In the Sufi tradition, it is taught that the primary purpose of life is to awaken to the essence of who we are.
Once we do so, we are invited to lovingly embrace this realization. The gift of community is that it offers each of us the fire of affirmation and support to achieve this.
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