{"id":13365,"date":"2022-02-03T16:23:19","date_gmt":"2022-02-03T21:23:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/psych\/cecmh\/?p=13365"},"modified":"2022-02-03T16:23:19","modified_gmt":"2022-02-03T21:23:19","slug":"how-volunteering-can-improve-your-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/psych\/cecmh\/how-volunteering-can-improve-your-health\/","title":{"rendered":"How volunteering can improve your health"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"sticky-on-scroll\" role=\"complementary\"><\/aside>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p>Helping others can provide mental, physical and community benefits, says a UNC Health expert, Dr. Austin Hall.<\/p>\n<p>If the COVID-19 pandemic has left you feeling disconnected, disheartened or just plain down in the dumps, a good way to reconnect and feel better is to volunteer in your community.<\/p>\n<p>Before the pandemic, about three in 10 Americans volunteered each year, but 2020 saw a major drop in volunteerism as people stayed home to stay safe and weren\u2019t sure how to find virtual opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Finding a safe way to volunteer now can not only help your community but can also benefit your whole health, says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/psych\/cecmh\/directory\/austin-hall-md\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr. Austin Hall<\/a>, medical director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/psych\/cecmh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe approach patient care holistically,\u201d Hall says. \u201cThat means making sure that we are looking at patients\u2019 physical, social and cognitive well-being. Volunteering is a great tool that can engage all of those aspects of health.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Whether you help build a home, serve food, clean up litter or perform another act of service, here are four ways Hall says volunteering can benefit your health.<\/p>\n<h2>Mental health benefits of volunteer work<\/h2>\n<p>Volunteering has been shown to have a positive effect on both mental health and cognitive abilities. By engaging in a common mission or cause with others, you feel more connected and useful, which spurs happier thoughts and a more positive outlook\u2026..<a href=\"https:\/\/thewell.unc.edu\/2022\/02\/02\/how-volunteering-can-improve-your-health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">read the full article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Helping others can provide mental, physical and community benefits, says a UNC Health expert, Dr. Austin Hall. If the COVID-19 pandemic has left you feeling disconnected, disheartened or just plain down in the dumps, a good way to reconnect and feel better is to volunteer in your community. Before the pandemic, about three in 10 &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/psych\/cecmh\/how-volunteering-can-improve-your-health\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How volunteering can improve your health\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":97082,"featured_media":13366,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[52,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-page-news","category-news","odd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How volunteering can improve your health - UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/psych\/cecmh\/how-volunteering-can-improve-your-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How volunteering can improve your health - UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Helping others can provide mental, physical and community benefits, says a UNC Health expert, Dr. Austin Hall. If the COVID-19 pandemic has left you feeling disconnected, disheartened or just plain down in the dumps, a good way to reconnect and feel better is to volunteer in your community. 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