5 Ways to Feel Better by Serving Others

Image by Priscilla Du Pree via Unsplash

With everything that’s going on in the world, it’s no wonder that many of us are feeling anxious, disconnected and/or unfulfilled. If this sounds like you, service could be the missing piece of the puzzle. 

Science confirms that helping others helps us feel better. And taking action against a problem that feels really big— say, climate change—helps redirect anxiety toward a positive action. 

Not only does service make you feel good, it can also help your career. Volunteering for an organization or taking on a volunteer leadership role within your company can help you hone new skills, make connections and enhance your resume.

While volunteering for an organization is one classic way to serve, here are five other ways to help others, build connections, and start feeling better: 

1. Be a mentor. Meghan Marckle was onto something when she asked people to pledge 40 minutes of mentorship or service to celebrate her 40th birthday last month. Participating in her 40 x 40 campaign opened my eyes to how easy and low-commitment it can be to offer your time up in a structured way.
   
   If you have the capacity to mentor someone, you could simply create an offer and share it on your social media accounts. You could also share it with your alumni organization to connect with recent or soon-to-be grads.
   
   Hint: It helps to make the offer it specific, ie. “I’m offering a one-hour call to anyone interested in learning more about ______.” You could even make it super easy by creating a signup link through Calendly or Sign Up Genius.
   
   

2. Create a pro bono offer. Think about what it is that you do best. Can you do it for someone else on a pro bono basis?
   
   Even if you don’t work at a firm with an official pro bono program, you can still offer your professional skills to individuals or organizations for free or at a lower cost. This could also be an opportunity to flex skills that you’d like to develop for your own career.
   
   Just make sure to create clear expectations upfront, and design any pro bono agreement so that all parties are getting something valuable out of the experience.
   
   

3. Get political. Getting involved as an advocate for an issue that you care about is one way to start feeling less helpless about the bigger issues facing our society.
   
   You can volunteer for a specific local candidate, get involved with your local political party, or join an organization that’s working on an issue close to your heart. Some of my favorites are Moms in Office, Everytown for Gun Safety and League of Conservation Voters.
   
   

4. Foster a pet. Prefer to give back to the four-legged community? The No Kill movement relies on a network of caring folks who open their homes up to foster animals on a temporary basis. When you foster a pet, you play an important part in clearing the path for more homeless pets to be rescued.
   
   As a bonus, spending time around pets is scientifically shown to improve your physical and mental well-being.
   
   

5. Start a giving circle. Giving money away is another scientifically backed way to increase happiness. For an extra boost of community and impact, I love the concept of giving circles. Giving circles are groups of people who get together to pool their donations, learn about different organizations, and decide as a group how to allocate the money. As a result, their gifts have more impact for the nonprofit organizations.
   
   For more on how to get started, Amplifier has a free step-by-step guide to starting your own giving circle.  

If you’re feeling anxious, disconnected and unfulfilled lately, look for ways to serve others. You just may end up feeling better, making friends and advancing your career in the meantime. ☀️