Volunteering Fosters Mental Health And Wellbeing | Episode 11 | Reviving Vet Med

Research consistently demonstrates the benefits of volunteering, especially among individuals who believe others will benefit from their contributions and that they are being appreciated for their efforts. 

During this episode, and in honour of International Volunteer Day, I review the positive impact of volunteering on mental health and wellbeing, and share strategies for optimizing volunteer opportunities in and outside of the veterinary profession. The importance of establishing boundaries in the context of volunteering time and energy is also discussed.

Video Version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbxtdpmUxGs&list=PLSg17Xf-rT1-e4zMj5UhYf_ecmYdqO4k7&index=8

Resources

Merck Animal Health Veterinarian Wellbeing Study (2020): https://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/about-us/veterinary-and-consumer-affairs/article/veterinary-wellbeing-study-2020 

Motives for volunteering are associated with mortality risk in older adults (2012): https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2011-17888-001 

Does Volunteering Make Us Happier, or Are Happier People More Likely to Volunteer? Addressing the Problem of Reverse Causality When Estimating the Wellbeing Impacts of Volunteering: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-020-00242-8 

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Transcript

Hey everyone! Welcome to another episode of Reviving Vet Med. 

Today's episode is called Volunteering fosters mental health and wellbeing, and in today's episode we are going to be covering different topics related to volunteering and the benefits on our health.  Specifically, we are going to review some of the research studies looking at the different benefits of volunteering we are going to touch on exactly how much and what sort of volunteering can be beneficial and who are the people who benefit most from.

During then, of course, once you're inspired to volunteer, I'm going to go over the different ways in which we can volunteer and the pros and cons of volunteering in and outside of the veterinary field, and then you all know me and that I like to be practical and tangible with these podcast episodes. So, I'm going to leave you with three tips for how to use Volunteering to foster your mental health and well-being, and of course that includes being careful if you are already experiencing burnout or compassion fatigue so that you don't make either of those worse.

So please note that this episode was recorded using live video, so you might hear my mouse clicking or other background noise, but otherwise this is a great topic. Great episode and I'm excited to get into it. So, let's go ahead and get started.

This is the reviving Vet Med podcast, and I'm your host, Doctor Marie Holloway Chuck and my mission is to improve the mental health and well-being of veterinary professionals around the world.

OK, so this topic came about after I learned that December 5th is International Volunteer Day. So, this is a day that recognizes the work that volunteers do and of course how important volunteers are for a lot of organizations and companies around the world.

So volunteering is when you give your time and energy to A cause or to others in a selfless way. So, there are many, many different forms of volunteering. And as we're going to talk about today, there's many benefits to volunteering.

And So, what we know about volunteers is that one quarter of US adults volunteered in 2019, and the biggest demographic to volunteer was college And the statistics in Canada are that 3/4 of Canadians over the age of 15 volunteered in 2018. So I suspect that the numbers are a little bit skewed higher in Canada, not necessarily because more of us are volunteering, but because that research included people aged 15 to 18, which I think there is quite a large number of 15- to 18-year-olds that do choose to volunteer because of course they're getting ready to Put together their college and university applications and they would like to have more experience and you know, gain more skills and things to put on their resume. So the research is very clear about the positive benefits of volunteering. We know that volunteering improves life satisfaction, sense of purpose, overall health, self-esteem and self-confidence. And there's also researched to show that volunteering improves a person's sense of control, their physical and mental health, their happiness, their joy and their empathy. So, when you dig into the research on volunteering, it's quite astounding the benefits that are out there.

So, when it comes to volunteering and physical health. We suspect that there's a positive.

Association here because the people who volunteer do tend to be more active, so whether they're more mobile and able to volunteer, or whether the volunteering allows them to be more active, it's hard to know, you know, which comes first. But the reality is, is that there is higher incidence of physical health and activity amongst.

When it comes to volunteering and mental health, people who volunteer can connect with others. They have a sense of helping others, and there's research to demonstrate that volunteering reduces signs of depression amongst volunteers. So interesting research here and evidence to support that this is something that we should all make time for Volunteering and happiness are an interesting piece as well, so there's research to indicate that people who volunteer are more confident, and that contribution to A cause greater than oneself really fosters happiness. So again, important reasons why you might consider volunteering and of course, we know that.

Volunteering is associated with joy, probably because people who volunteer are adding new experiences to their lives. They're interacting with new people, they're doing things they wouldn't otherwise be doing, and we know that in life that new experiences do bring joy. So, this is another benefit of volunteering. And then we also know that volunteering is associated with empathies, so people who volunteer are potentially working with people in need, or people of a lower socioeconomic status. So, it just allows us to have a little perspective of what individuals unlike us might be going through and just reminds us that you know what? We do need to recognize that there are individuals who are struggling and to have empathy and concern for those individuals.

So, some interesting research that I've come across looking at volunteering is looking really at the relationship between volunteers and longevity. So, there was a health psychology journal study in 2012 that looked at participants who volunteered compared to those who didn't.

And interestingly, what they found is that participants who volunteered with some regularity lived longer, but only if their intentions were truly altruistic, meaning only if they really were volunteering to help another person and not for some motive to help themselves. Or to make themselves feel better. So important to make sure that when you do decide to volunteer that it is truly in the service of others and not in some way in service to yourself. And that's going to be a little bit hard. Knowing all the health benefits.

That you can experience volunteering to not have a little bit of selfishness there and wanting to volunteer. Now a lot of people ask the question too. Well, what's the Sweet? sweet spot when it comes to volunteering is more often better, and there was a Journal of Happiness Studies article published in 2020. That was huge it Were 70,000 surveyed participants in the United Kingdom. They looked at them, volunteering over a series of several years between the years of 1996 to 2014. So, they followed these volunteers out individually, and what they found is that people who volunteered at least once a month had higher, or I should say, better mental health compared to the participants.

Who volunteered only infrequently, or who didn't volunteer at all. So again, if you do decide that you want to incorporate volunteering into your life, then it's probably something that you do want to try to carve out time at least once a month for.

Now a lot of people ask the question too. Does volunteering actually make a person happy or is people who are happier more likely to volunteer such a great question too, and what the researchers in that same study found is that when they accounted for people's initial levels of wellbeing.

Before they started volunteering, they still found improvements in happiness. So, in other words, people who volunteered became happier over time, even though they might have been starting from a different baseline now there are some different studies to suggest that individuals with lower levels of well-being have higher boosts in happiness when volunteering compared to those with higher levels of well-being. So in other words, you're going to get more bang for your buck if you're in a in a state of low wellbeing you are probably going to benefit more from volunteering, so not to say that those with high well-being shouldn't volunteer, but just to remember that you might not see as many benefits and then this same Journal of Happiness study, published in 2020, also looked at whether certain demographics benefit more from volunteering and what they found is that participants aged 16 to 24 and 55 to 74 were especially likely to benefit from volunteering, and they suspected in the younger group this is because those individuals were gaining new skills and building social connections and same goes for the older demographic that again, maintaining those social connections, avoiding that loneliness, that can sometimes come with old age. It was just very beneficial for that group.

So, when we think about volunteering, there's different ways that we can volunteer and I think, you know during this time of COVID with restrictions and so on in person, volunteer opportunities may not be possible, but if they are possible for you, you can think of things like helping in your child's classroom. Or visiting patients or facilitating pet therapy at a long-term care facility. Or maybe walking dogs or providing animal enrichment at a Shelter. Maybe it's greeting or helping individuals at the Public Library, washing dishes at a meal center, sorting food or packing hampers at a food bank. My dad volunteers at the Food bank every week, and so that's something that he does or organize activities at a shelter. So, there's lots of things that you can do in person, of course, would be necessary for a lot of these jobs. If you can do so.

Now, as I said with COVID, it might be restricted to virtual volunteer opportunities. And the great thing is, is that even though we have been relatively restricted the last few years there in some instances are even more opportunities for virtual volunteering than there were before. So, you might help to organize an event for a local charity or provide clerical support for a nonprofit organization. You might connect virtually with residents and a senior.

This home. Maybe you provide translation services if you're multilingual or bilingual tutoring students is something that you can do virtually and committee work, I mean all of my committees are running full force and, in some ways, I feel like we're more productive because now that we're corresponding virtually, we're corresponding more often than if we were only meeting at a conference. You know once or twice a year, so lots of opportunities for virtual volunteering.

Now there's also specific opportunities for volunteering that are related to the veterinary field, so these would be things like track due to release programs, low cost spays, neuter clinics, veterinary Medical Association Committee work, mentorship opportunities or outreach opportunities such as programs run by the community.

Veterinary Outreach Group, which you can find online and then that brings me to volunteerism. So, believe it or not, there's a word volunteerism. So, it's a combination of tourism and volunteering, and this is typically done through an agency or organization. Very often, individuals having to pay out of pocket for their travel, but they are then able to travel and to provide work that is typically specific to their professions. So, for veterinarians or veterinary technicians or nurses, you would be working with organizations like worldwide vets, world vets or veterinarians Without Borders. So, there are lots of organizations. Again, very often there is a financial aspect to this. Some people I know will fundraise to pay for their trip, knowing that it is for a good cause. But it's rare that you can find opportunities where your trip will actually be paid for even though you are volunteering your time. So.

Now I've convinced. You're thinking to yourself. OK. Volunteering hasn’t done that in a while. Sounds like a good idea. What are some questions you might want to ask yourself? Well, the first question is do I want to do something that uses my veterinary skill set?

Or something completely different. So, for me, you know, I thankfully have my veterinary skill set, but I'm also a yoga and meditation teacher, so I have intermittently done meditation and yoga classes for veterinary students or for other individuals. So, you know there, there's pros and cons to both. I'm going to break that down. In just a moment as well, the next question is, do I want to volunteer in person or remotely? So how safe do I feel to volunteer in person? Or do I want to keep this virtual?

And then the third question is, do I want a onetime engagement, or do I want something long term and recurring where I can, you know establish relationships and this can be a regular part of my schedule. Again, maybe going back to the benefits of volunteering once a month. What can I do that would allow me to be able to have that benefit? So questions you ask yourself, and of course you know me, I like to keep things very practical and tangible. So, I'm going to leave you with three tips for promoting well-being, with volunteering and.

The first tip is to consider something non veterinary related, so I know I've just presented you with a bunch of great veterinary related opportunities. Not the least of which is volunteerism.

But research amongst us veterinarians demonstrate higher well-being among those spending time, doing hobbies, traveling or spending time with family and friends. So, I urge you to consider that doesn't mean you have to but consider a volunteer opportunity that incorporates those aspects. Can you volunteer with Family or friends? Or do you have a hobby that you could also incorporate into? Volunteering. Or could you engage in travel that allowed you to volunteer, maybe outside of the veterinary realm, especially if you are currently experiencing burnout or compassion fatigue? I don't want you to add something more to your plate that is veterinary, or animal related that could lead you to worsen.

Those emotions and those feelings of burnout or compassion fatigue and that leads me to my tip. #2, which is to watch out for compassion fatigue. So, if you do choose to volunteer in an animal related field, or if you choose to volunteer in a crisis center type of situation, you are at risk of developing compassion fatigue. There's researched to demonstrate that well-being can decrease among crisis line workers, especially if they're not taking care of themselves. So, if you find that. Once you get back into volunteering, if you are volunteering in an animal related field or a crisis center type of situation, especially if you feel yourself feeling more exhausted or work is troubling you or your volunteer duties are troubling you outside of them you need to take a break and maybe you need to consider another form of volunteerism.

And then my third tip is to set boundaries, so please know volunteering should not feel like an obligation. I'm not suggesting, even though that it has boost for well-being that it's something you need to add to your list of things to do, especially if you're already in a state of burnout, exhaustion, or overwhelm. I only want you to commit to volunteering when you have the time and energy to do so when this really excites you. It sparks joy. 

For you, when you do decide to volunteer, just like everything else in your life, I urge you to set limits around it. How many hours can you comfortably dedicate this get dedicate to this and don't let anybody convince you otherwise, right? You're probably going to do this and you're going to show up and do such a great job. People are going to want you to do more.

That stick to your limits. I can only commit to five hours a month or 8 hours a month, or whatever it might be.

And if you feel that it's too much, give yourself permission to stop or step away. After all, this is a volunteer role. You are doing this out of the goodness of your heart. You are not getting paid for this. There is no, you know, in most instances there's not a contractual obligation, so it's OK to say, you know what, I've got too much on my plate right now. Life is a bit too hectic. I'm going to put this on hold until I can show up in a better place and space in my life that I can really dedicate my time and energy to this.

All right, so the key takeaways for today's session are that volunteering has tremendous mental and physical health benefits, especially if you do it at least once a month. And if it's paired with a desire to help other people, there are many opportunities for volunteering both in and outside of the veterinary profession, whether they be virtual in person or with travel.

And I want you to be intentional about why and how you wish to volunteer and make sure that you are not going to do something that is going to potentially worsen your burnout or compassion fatigue. And that's going to involve setting boundaries. So be clear about what you have in terms of availability and commitment and give yourself permission to stop at any time.

So that's it for this episode of reviving that Med. I hope that you learned something new when it comes to volunteering and the wonderful benefits it has for our mental health and well-being. And I hope that you take these 3 tips to heart if you are thinking about pursuing some form of volunteering as we move into the new year.

I urge you to do one thing when you finish listening to this podcast, whether you subscribe or leave a rating and review, or maybe share the episode with someone else who you think will appreciate.

I would also love to hear if you do decide to pursue a volunteer opportunity. After listening to this episode, you are always welcome to reach out to me by e-mail at info@marieholowaychuk.com and share with me how you were inspired and how that boosted your mental health and well-being.

If you're interested in the resources from today's episode, please check them out in the show notes. I will have links to all the research studies that I mentioned.

Otherwise, I would like to thank my podcasting superhero Darby role for producing this episode, and I'd like to thank you for listening all the way till the end. I hope that you'll until next time and until then, take care of yourself. Bye now