What’s more, as the weather warms up and the days get longer, you may find yourself looking for things to do to occupy your time in a healthy way.
How Volunteering Helps
Before we talk about the many ways you can donate your time this season, let’s talk about the numerous benefits of volunteering for your recovery and your overall health. Have you heard of the phrase “giver’s glow”? This describes the many health perks of giving back, including lower blood pressure, decreased risk of depression and anxiety, higher self-esteem and increased happiness.Volunteering is great for getting out of your head and ridding yourself of negative emotions like shame, guilt or anxiety that can hold you back in your recovery. Helping someone else is also a surefire way to boost your self-esteem and gain a positive perspective on your life. Plus, you’ll meet new friends and gain some valuable skills that might help when you’re ready to find employment.
Spring-Themed Volunteering Ideas
Certainly, you can give back to your community all year round, but springtime means an array of fun outdoor and season-appropriate activities. Here are a few ideas to get you inspired!- Beautify a local park or beach. Volunteer to clean up your community park by picking up trash, fixing up the playground or planting flowers. You can also participate in a local beach cleanup to help protect the sand and sea.
- Take a pup for a walk. Check your local shelter to see if they need any dog walkers. Together, you and your furry friend can reap the benefits of exercising outdoors.
- Clean up the earth. Find out what your community is doing for Earth Day and how you can help. This might include planting a tree, volunteering to clear off a road, helping out a climate change nonprofit or planting flowers around town. Or, gather some sober friends and plant a community garden for your local recovery community.
- Make a donation. If you do a little spring cleaning, make sure to give away your lightly used goods. For example, you can donate clothes and household and entertainment items to small, local thrift stores or larger nonprofit organizations that run thrift stores. Craft supplies and books can be donated to churches or local youth groups.
Volunteering during recovery is a wonderful way to keep yourself busy in a rewarding and productive manner. Just be sure to always put your recovery first. If you feel overwhelmed, scale back so you don't sidetrack your own sobriety. Remember: every bit counts and no impact is too small this spring!
