Volunteer as a Teacher in Ghana
Ever wondered why there are so many volunteers in the world? Psychologists have too.
The main motivation for volunteering is driven by our need to satisfy our emotional needs and worries. Sometimes this might be because of a religious need, but it’s also got a lot to do with our mental attitudes. One of the more surprising statistics is that this doesn’t even apply to a certain age range – it affects both young and old the same.
When American psychologists asked a cross-section of US volunteers why they volunteered, their answers were all remarkably similar. Obviously there are a lot of factors to consider, such as where the volunteer lives, and whether or not a concern for their community plays a large part in their pledge to volunteer and across the pond, here in the UK, the same applies. Many people express disdain for their areas. Perhaps they live in a socially deprived area which has seen better days, or possibly they simply want to improve the place where they live and get involved in a local initiative which aims to change that.
Wherever you choose to volunteer, whether it’s in your own country dealing with local projects or on an international scale doing something extraordinary, you’re helping to change a community for the better, which not only helps the local people but also your mental attitudes. Another reason found for undertaking voluntary work is to boost your own feelings. Helping out somewhere else is an escape from your own troubles and stress and opens up another world for you, where you can take on another role and develop a different side to yourself. When you volunteer, you can meet new people from all walks of life and enrich your own learning experience through them – yet another reason behind the average volunteer’s mentality.
There are obvious benefits to volunteering that the study picked up on, namely that it undoubtedly improves job prospects and it’s a way that you can personally challenge yourself. People who work in areas which really interest them benefit most of all from volunteering, as it’s not only a great mood booster for them as it piques their interest, but it’s also a means of meeting like-minded people like themselves who share the same interests and goals. On a long-term scale, the happier you are, the more you’ll volunteer and get more of a kick out of what you do!
Though some psychologists argue that some of these points are selfish, such as job benefiting and volunteering to purely boost your mood, it’s been proven that the more satisfied you are with your job, the more you’ll put into it. So basically, the more suited a volunteer placement is for you, the more you’ll get out of it.
