Is Volunteering A Hobby?

You might have seen people helping each other in their time of distress. They come forward with no other intention than to help people in trouble. We have seen volunteers planting trees, taking care of people during natural calamities, and even taking care of stray animals. What is the motive for volunteering then? What makes them do such things?

A question arises in our minds when it comes to volunteering. Is volunteering a hobby? We all know that hobbies are something that we do in our leisure. It gives us pleasure. It can be collecting stamps or unusual rocks. Volunteering, on the other hand, does not present any possession you can showcase. What is it then? Let us find out.

What is Voluntary Work?

Volunteer work meaning: Anything you do without hoping to get paid in tangible means is called voluntary work. It is your wish to be a part of something without any remuneration that makes this work voluntary. The term voluntary means you are willingly there without any expectation of any reward.

As Oscar Wilde said that even the smallest act of kindness shown to someone is much greater than the grandest intention one holds in his heart. Volunteering is a way to show gratitude by helping others or working for a noble cause without expecting anything in return. You can make it a hobby to rediscover yourself.

Let us consider a few examples here to understand its true meaning. If you are helping someone with his studies without asking any fee, you are volunteering. For example, if you are imparting knowledge to some under-priviledged kids and helping them in education for free, it is called volunteering.

Another popular volunteer work is collecting trash. For instance, you go for a walk in the evening daily. You keep collecting trash on the way even though the location is not close to your house and you are not benefitted in any way from this work. This is doing voluntary work to benefit others. In the same context, cleaning your house and collecting trash at home is not volunteering. It is for your direct benefit. This is a perfect example of social volunteering.

People Volunteering to Clean Forests

Amazing Benefits of Volunteering

Below are some remarkable benefits of volunteering that give you a different yet elegant perspective of life.

Get a purpose

There are different types of volunteer work you will find these days where people participate. Every type of such work holds a purpose. This purpose can be fulfilling. For example, if you make a group of students and take up the responsibility to clean the school ground by picking up trash, you will find a greater purpose.

This purpose is much bigger than the self. Doing such things will not only make you happy but will encourage you to follow something great. It is the purpose that defines you and how you can volunteer work.

Building a Sense of Community

Focus on the same example again. When you start collecting trash from your neighbourhood, people will admire your efforts. Eventually, you will find people throwing less trash here and there. The degree of littering will reduce.

This effort turns out to be a great change in your society. People will realise the ill effects of littering. They will realize that the neighbourhood is also their home and they should take care of it too. Hence, volunteering with a cause builds a strong sense of community in you and others. It connects people deeply.

You can make new Friends

Another reason that depicts the importance of volunteering is making new friends. Imagine you have taken a step to save the environment. You want to raise awareness related to climate change. Consider the example of Greta Thunberg. She dropped her schooling for a long span of time to protest against the inactions of world leaders regarding climate change. She volunteered for a more significant cause.

When you do so, you will find people with similar interests and thoughts around you. Such people connect very deeply and become great friends. Connecting with a great cause will give you new friendships to rejoice. This is why volunteer work can be rewarding.

Development of Social Skills

Working as a volunteer will add more confidence. Your personality will develop exceptionally. When you spend a lot of time with others, you will develop excellent social skills. These skills will help you connect with people in the future. These are life skills that we all need to develop.

Grow your Self-esteem

It is said that when you have self-respect, you will respect others. Your self-esteem will get a huge boost when you do such work without any expectation. Adding values to your community will definitely make you feel proud. You will also encourage others to pursue the same.

This addition of a new value to your life will definitely increase your self-esteem. You will achieve something that will make you happy and proud. This sense of accomplishment is priceless.

Learning Professional Skills

When you connect with a community offering volunteer work, you will develop certain professional skills. The hands-on experience is much greater in teaching life skills than in any course you pursue. For instance, you can learn interpersonal skills, public speaking skills, communication skills, etc., from such work.

Volunteering is Learning

Focusing on the benefits of volunteering, we can clearly conclude that it is a way of learning new things. You will not get rewarded physically but psychologically. The sense of achievement and selfless work will make you feel good for yourself.

Why wait then? Choose what you want to do and break out of your comfort zone. Make it a hobby and find out where you can contribute to the welfare of all.