Doing good does you good
While many of us feel too stressed and our lives full to bursting already, the idea of being able to help others can seem just a little too much. But, interestingly, evidence shows that helping others is actually beneficial for our own mental health and wellbeing and provides a deep sense of self-worth. So, daunting as it may seem at first, it really can be a win - win situation for yourself AND the people or organisation you take the time to help.
To start with, here are just a few of the physical, mental and health benefits of helping others…
1. IT REDUCES STRESS
Doing things for others helps maintain good health.
Positive emotions reduce stress and boost our immune system, which in turn can protect us against disease.
2. IT HELPS GET RID OF NEGATIVE FEELINGS
Negative emotions such as anger, aggression or hostility have a negative impact on our mind and body.
Engaging in acts of kindness can help decrease these feelings and stabilise our overall health.
3. HELPING OTHERS FEELS GOOD
When you help others, it promotes positive physiological changes in the brain associated with happiness. These ‘feel-good rushes’ are often followed by longer periods of calm which over time can lead to better overall wellbeing.
How the practice supports patients overall wellbeing:
In order for us to help our patients with their wellbeing - and to provide the next level of patient care in our Move Well, Eat Well, Think Well strategy - the practice moved to Pensthorpe Natural Park, Fakenham in 2016. Pensthorpe has a strong commitment to health and wellbeing in a very special location and we feel privileged to be an independent part of it.
Volunteering
Pensthorpe Natural Park offers the opportunity to become a volunteer and to get out and surround yourself with nature. Volunteers are key to the success of Pensthorpe Natural Park and their aim is to provide an environment where individuals and groups can take time to learn something new and contribute to the maintenance and development of their beautiful park. Volunteering is a great way to do something for others and research shows that it benefits people of all ages through increasing feelings of self-esteem, respect, motivation and wellbeing.
Allan Archer, former volunteer, who went on to work at Pensthorpe, before moving on to Holkham.
Photo by Steve Adams
Allan Archer, was a part-time employee at Pensthorpe who began as a volunteer at the Park. He has written about his experience and how volunteering helped him.
After a busy career in business operations and marketing Allan ended up taking time out from work in 2016 to focus on his mental wellbeing
“Depression stops you doing the things you love. After a period of treatment I started to get my depression under control and that’s when I began volunteering. I saw it as an opportunity to reconnect with my hobby – nature. Not only has volunteering helped me to get my mental wellbeing back on track but it’s given me an opportunity to do something I love.”
To find out more about volunteering at Pensthorpe Natural Park click here.
What kind of volunteering is right for you?
There are a huge amount of volunteering opportunities in Norfolk but it can seem like an endless task searching for something that interests you. Organisations such as Voluntary Norfolk are an invaluable resource for would be volunteers and the organisations that rely on them.
You can visit their website and browse the opportunities by interests, activities and distance. You can also sign up with them, registering your preferences and they will email you when relevant opportunities come up.
There are no obligations, no pressure, lots of support and with the amazingly wide array of volunteering options available, there really is something for everyone.
Even if you are unable to travel there are still ways for you to contribute, admin work for a charity or transcribing historic newspaper articles to help create an online archive for instance.