If you’re planning out your retirement in a senior apartment, then you may have given some thought to how you will spend your time with a re-focused lifestyle. While leisure and relaxation will be a top priority after your working life, spare some thought to charity or volunteering too; charity work and volunteering can provide several benefits to you, the community, and the world. Find out more below!
Give Back to the Community
One of the number one reasons why retirees will get involved in charity and volunteering is the drive to give back to the community. This can take the form of preparing food at food banks, cleaning up local parks, making donations to a locally run charity, and much more. When you give back to the community, it can create a connection with the people you live around, or can deepen your existing relationships.
Whether it is just in the local vicinity of your Albany retirement village, or in the wider Auckland community, volunteering in retirement can be a great community-building endeavour.
Make New Friends
Volunteering in retirement can be an excellent way to make some new friends! It can often be difficult for a retiree to meet new people regularly, so getting involved in volunteering can put you in touch with a variety of new potential friends, young and old. There is a lot of comradery between volunteers, as like-minded people come together to achieve some good, and because loneliness can be a problem for some retirees, getting out and meeting new people can have major benefits for your mental health.
Keep Yourself Active
It’s not just your mental health that volunteering in retirement can benefit; it can also be a great way to get some exercise in. After retiring from work, people often find they are lacking the physical exercise they would have typically had from their day-to-day job or commute. Luckily there are many volunteering options that can keep your body moving, from practising your old trade for charitable works, to taking long walks door-to-door, fundraising for your chosen cause.
Develop & Pass on Your Skills
Throughout your life, you will have developed a lot of valuable life skills. It can be incredibly satisfying to pass these along to other people, especially the younger generations. Volunteering to teach, tutor, and mentor others can provide you with a way to pass on your skills for the good of other people.
It’s also never too late to pick up some new skills! Volunteering and charitable work can be the perfect vehicle for learning about new topics and picking up some new skills of your own.
Build a Sense of Purpose
One of the most important things to a retiree’s well-being is a sense of purpose. The purpose is the feeling that you are contributing to something greater than yourself and is an important part of feeling wanted and included. By giving to a charity that you believe in, or volunteering for a good cause, you can build your self-esteem, and motivate yourself to do bigger and better things.
There are many different types of volunteer work, so it will likely be easy to find some work that will make you feel fulfilled and eager to get up in the morning.
Plan Your Retirement Today
Getting involved in volunteering is all part of a well-thought-out retirement plan. Settlers is an Albany retirement village with a balanced lifestyle and a range of senior apartments to choose from. We can help you craft your desired retired life; contact us today to find out more!
