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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal'><b>From:</b> Jan Bailey <jlb021951@gmail.com> <br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, April 2, 2024 5:28 AM<br><b>To:</b> terrypowers59@gmail.com<br><b>Subject:</b> Volunteer Work Is Good for Your Brain<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Volunteer Work Is Good for Your Brain<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>By Dr. Mercola</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Only about 25 percent of Americans volunteer,</span><a name="_ednref1"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn1"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref1'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>1</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref1'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref1'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> despite the fact that doing good for others stands to benefit everyone involved. Volunteer work is unique in that it often involves social, physical and cognitive dimensions, and research has shown that retired seniors who engage in activities that require moderate effort in two or more of these dimensions slash their risk of </span><span style='color:black'><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/02/16/early-dementia-sign.aspx"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>dementia</span></a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> by 47 percent.</span><a name="_ednref2"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn2"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref2'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>2</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref2'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref2'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>“An active and socially integrated lifestyle in late life protects against dementia and AD [</span><span style='color:black'><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/05/22/alzheimers-disease-prevention.aspx"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>Alzheimer’s disease</span></a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>],” the researchers wrote,</span><a name="_ednref3"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn3"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref3'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>3</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref3'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref3'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> and volunteering is one way to achieve this. Since volunteers are needed in a seemingly endless variety of organizations, from animal shelters and schools to food pantries and youth services, there’s a volunteer opportunity to appeal to virtually everyone. It costs you nothing, save for some time, and while giving back to those around you you’ll reap impressive benefits to your brain.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#CC0000'>Volunteering Lowers Your Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Decline<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>The brain benefits of volunteering are so great that researchers writing in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggested doctors should start writing their senior patients prescriptions for volunteer work. They found that in individuals aged 60 and over, volunteering regularly decreased the risk of cognitive impairment over a 14-year period:</span><a name="_ednref4"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn4"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref4'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>4</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref4'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref4'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>“Consistent civic engagement in old age is associated with lower risk of cognitive impairment and provides impetus for interventions to protect against the onset of cognitive impairment. Given the increasing number of baby boomers entering old age, the findings support the public health benefits of volunteering and the potential role of geriatricians, who can promote volunteering by incorporating ‘prescriptions to volunteer’ into their patient care.”</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Separate research published in The Journal of the Economics of Ageing similarly revealed that taking part in volunteer work “significantly forestalls” the progress of </span><span style='color:black'><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/08/27/reverse-cognitive-decline.aspx"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>cognitive decline</span></a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> in people aged 60 years and older.</span><a name="_ednref5"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn5"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref5'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>5</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref5'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref5'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> "Volunteering is a pathway through which you can increase brain activity," Michelle Carlson, associate professor in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told AARP.</span><a name="_ednref6"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn6"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref6'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>6</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref6'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref6'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> Carlson co-wrote a small study of older women who were at high risk of cognitive decline.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>They engaged in volunteer work 15 hours a week for six months, assisting elementary school teachers with children’s literacy and academic achievement. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), it was shown the women had increases in brain activity in areas involved in executive functions, along with behavioral improvements to match.</span><a name="_ednref7"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn7"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref7'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>7</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref7'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref7'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Volunteering may even lead to increases in volume in brain regions such as the hippocampus, which is involved in memory, as opposed to the declines in volume typically seen with age. One study published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia, for instance, revealed that men and women who volunteered for two years had increases in brain volume of up to 1.6 percent and 0.54 percent, respectively, while those in a control group experienced declines in volume.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>“These findings showed that purposeful activity embedded within a social health promotion program halted and, in men, reversed declines in brain volume in regions vulnerable to dementia,” the researchers concluded.</span><a name="_ednref8"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn8"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref8'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>8</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref8'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref8'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> What’s more, the longer the volunteering took place, the greater the brain benefits appeared to be.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#CC0000'>Volunteering May Buffer Daily Stress, Benefit Your Heart<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Exactly how volunteering helps brain health remains to be seen, although it’s been suggested that the social element of helping others, along with the stimulation of learning new things, could be factors.</span><a name="_ednref9"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn9"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref9'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>9</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref9'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref9'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> It’s also quite possible that the brain benefits stem, at least in part, from other body wide benefits that volunteering offers. Volunteering can lower your risk of </span><span style='color:black'><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/depression.aspx"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>depression</span></a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> and </span><span style='color:black'><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/anxiety.aspx"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>anxiety</span></a><a name="_ednref10"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn10"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref10'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>10</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref10'></span></a></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref10'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> and even boost your psychological well-being.</span><a name="_ednref11"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn11"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref11'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>11</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref11'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref11'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Volunteering to help others can even lead to a so-called "helper's high," which may occur because doing good releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin in your body while lowering levels of stress hormones like cortisol. When researchers tested the buffering role of daily volunteer work on stress levels, it was found that salivary cortisol levels were lower on days when participants volunteered compared to days they did not, offering legitimate stress-buffering effects. Researchers wrote in Social Science & Medicine:</span><a name="_ednref12"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn12"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref12'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>12</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref12'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref12'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>“Our findings are suggestive of a unique, but unobserved, neurobiological mechanism underlying the link between volunteering and better health. Volunteer programs designed to help others in need may be considered as an intervention strategy for individuals living under stressful conditions.”</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Research from Carnegie Mellon University further revealed that people who volunteered for at least 200 hours a year were 40 percent less likely to develop </span><span style='color:black'><a href="https://www.mercola.com/Downloads/bonus/high-blood-pressure/default.aspx"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>high blood pressure</span></a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> than those who did not.</span><a name="_ednref13"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn13"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref13'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>13</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref13'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref13'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> The type of volunteer work appeared to be irrelevant. Rather, it was the amount of time spent doing it that mattered. Indeed, social interaction, and the stress relief it can provide, is likely one major reason why volunteering has a beneficial effect on blood pressure, as it's a well-known fact that stress elevates blood pressure.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>The study’s lead author, Rodlescia Sneed, also pointed to social interactions as a key reason why volunteering is so beneficial, noting in a press release:</span><a name="_ednref14"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn14"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref14'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>14</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref14'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref14'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>"As people get older, social transitions like retirement, bereavement and the departure of children from the home often leave older adults with fewer natural opportunities for social interaction … Participating in volunteer activities may provide older adults with social connections that they might not have otherwise. There is strong evidence that having good social connections promotes healthy aging and reduces risk for a number of negative health outcomes."</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#CC0000'>Impressive, Whole-Body Benefits of Volunteering<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Volunteering’s many benefits are not limited to one area of the body like your brain or your heart but rather appear to extend bodywide. Volunteerism is linked to lower all-cause mortality in older adults,</span><a name="_ednref15"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn15"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref15'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>15</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref15'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref15'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> for instance, and additional benefits such as the following have also been noted:</span><a name="_ednref16"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn16"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref16'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>16</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref16'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref16'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:24.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;background:white'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Greater life satisfaction<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:24.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;background:white'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Greater self-esteem<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:24.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;background:white'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Increased personal control<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:24.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;background:white'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Fewer depressive symptoms<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:24.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;background:white'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Delaying the onset of functional limitations that predict psychological distress among older adults<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Physical activity is another area where volunteering shines, as many types of volunteer work require moderate physical exertion. People who volunteer have been found to be more physically active than those who do not,</span><a name="_ednref17"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn17"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref17'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>17</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref17'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref17'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> while “the simple act of walking to and from a volunteer site may promote increased activity among otherwise sedentary individuals,” researchers wrote in Psychology and Aging.</span><a name="_ednref18"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn18"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref18'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>18</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref18'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref18'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>In fact, when older adults in fair health engaged in intensive volunteering in an elementary school for 15 hours or more each week, continuing for the full duration of the school year, they reported a number of physical improvements, including improved stair-climbing speed and increased walking speed.</span><a name="_ednref19"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn19"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref19'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>19</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref19'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref19'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> Even people with chronic or serious illnesses stand to benefit from volunteering.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>According to a report by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), a U.S. agency that helps Americans help others through service, people suffering from chronic pain had reductions in pain intensity and disability when they volunteered to help others with chronic pain.</span><a name="_ednref20"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn20"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref20'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>20</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref20'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref20'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> "Making a connection" and "a sense of purpose” were two themes that emerged during the study, suggesting that these are primary reasons why volunteering proves to be so rewarding to volunteers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>In another study, people who volunteered following a </span><span style='color:black'><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/heart-attack-signs-symptoms.aspx"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>heart attack</span></a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> reported reductions in despair and depression, which are linked to an increased risk of mortality, along with a greater sense of purpose.</span><a name="_ednref21"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn21"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref21'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>21</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref21'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref21'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> Research has even shown that states with a high volunteer rate have lower rates of mortality and incidences of heart disease.</span><a name="_ednref22"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn22"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref22'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>22</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref22'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref22'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> According to CNCS:</span><a name="_ednref23"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn23"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref23'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>23</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref23'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref23'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>“While these studies may differ in terms of their specific findings, they consistently demonstrate that there is a significant relationship between volunteering and good health; when individuals volunteer, they not only help their community but also experience better health in later years, whether in terms of greater longevity, higher functional ability or lower rates of depression.”</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#CC0000'>Meeting the ‘Volunteering Threshold’<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>It’s unclear exactly how much volunteer work is necessary to reap its physical and mental rewards. However, some findings indicated that volunteering for about 100 hours a year may offer the greatest health advantages, and CNCS states that “it is not the case that the more an individual volunteers, the greater the health benefits.” Instead, they suggest there is a “volunteer threshold” that must be met — volunteering at least one or two hours a week — and after that no additional health benefits are gained from volunteering more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>That being said, another study found that volunteering 40 hours or less per year, or volunteering for just one organization (as opposed to two or more), led to the lowest risk of mortality,</span><a name="_ednref24"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn24"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref24'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>24</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref24'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref24'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> while others have suggested that volunteering too much may overwhelm an individual, with negative health consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>In addition, older volunteers may stand to gain the greatest health benefits compared to younger volunteers, possibly because in the case of seniors, volunteering may provide important ties to the community along with a sense of purpose.</span><a name="_ednref25"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn25"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref25'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>25</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref25'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref25'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Still other research suggests that while volunteering regularly is associated with higher levels of mental well-being, this isn’t apparent until age 40 and beyond.</span><a name="_ednref26"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn26"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref26'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>26</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref26'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref26'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> Ultimately, if you’re considering volunteering, you should choose a cause that matters to you and invest as much time as you comfortably can. If you start to feel stressed by the obligation to volunteer, it may be a sign you’ve committed too much time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Volunteering should leave you feeling good about your accomplishments and excited to continue your contribution. Ideally, for the greatest health, mental and emotional gains, especially as they pertain to your brain, seek out volunteer opportunities that provide opportunity for social connection and mental stimulation, and which help you to feel a sense of purpose, such as tutoring.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>On the other hand, volunteer work that requires more physical activity, such as gardening, can increase your weekly activity, offering another set of benefits. And while you’re at it, be sure you keep a positive attitude and are volunteering for the right reasons. It’s possible, and has been shown by at least one study, that motives for volunteering matter, and people who volunteer for altruistic reasons enjoy increased </span><span style='color:black'><a href="https://www.mercola.com/infographics/general-health-guidelines.htm"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>longevity</span></a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>, whereas those who do so for more selfish reasons do not.</span><a name="_ednref27"></a><a href="https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/03/15/volunteer-work.aspx#_edn27"><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref27'><sup><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0869BD'>27</span></sup></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref27'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_ednref27'></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>