Think Well
Article

Could volunteering improve your mental wellbeing? Although it's true that most people in the UK lead very busy lives nowadays, have you ever considered that taking some time out to help others could not only do them the world of good but also you too?

A recent survey carried out by aid agencies CAFOD and Tearfund together with thinktank Theos discovered that 75 per cent of people believe helping other Britons is the key to their own happiness, whilst 54 per cent said the same about helping people abroad.

CAFOD director Chris Bain explained that we are able to measure happiness by what we give to others and what we get back in return.

"Real happiness is difficult to define and is different for different peoples and cultures, but what is clear is that community and caring inter-relationships with other people and with our environment are vital for wellbeing," he added.

However, how many of these respondents would be able to say that they actively and regularly help other people out?

HeadsUp, a youth project run by the young people's charity Rehab, recently ran an event encouraging people to perform random acts of kindness each day to show how it can foster a sense of wellbeing, enhance self-worth and pass on happiness to other people.

Collette Ryan, HeadsUp project manager, told the Irish Medical Times that acts can be very simple and don't have to cost anything, such as smiling at a stranger or opening a door for someone.

"Paying a little more attention to the people around you and offering help and assistance, or even just a friendly word or warm smile, can make all the difference to a person's day," she said.

The University of Lampeter has carried also out various studies which show that doing something for someone else can have a positive effect on your own wellbeing.

If you want to get involved with more structured acts of kindness and have some spare time, you could volunteer for a charity or other benevolent organisation.

Volunteering England said that 71 per cent of adults volunteered in some way in 2008-09, with 47 per cent doing so once a month.

Its website features a host of different activities to get involved in, so it's worth checking out if this is something you want to do yourself.

You could even get a friend or family member to volunteer with you and enjoy spending time together whilst also giving something back to your local community.