The holiday season is often filled with bright lights, music, and cherished family traditions — but it can also be stressful. Between shopping, cooking, wrapping gifts, and attending events, it’s easy to feel tired, overwhelmed, or even a little lonely.
A straightforward way to feel better during the holidays is to volunteer. Helping others isn’t just good for them — it’s good for you too. Giving your time and energy can reduce stress, make you feel happier, and even help your body stay healthy.
How Volunteering Helps
According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, volunteering can help your mind and body. It can lower stress, reduce feelings of depression or anxiety, and give you a sense of purpose. (mayoclinichealthsystem.org)
Volunteering also helps you connect with other people. You might make new friends, strengthen your community, and feel more supported by those around you. (mayoclinichealthsystem.org)
Research from Harvard Health Publishing suggests that individuals who volunteer regularly may experience longer lives and lower blood pressure. (health.harvard.edu) Helping others gives you purpose, keeps you active, and helps your mind stay healthy.
Why the Holidays Are a Great Time to Volunteer
- Reduce stress. Volunteering can provide a welcome break from holiday pressure. Shifting your focus from what you have to do to helping someone else can make you feel calmer and happier.
- Connect with others. The holidays can be lonely for some people. Volunteering provides an opportunity to meet others, share kindness, and be part of a community.
- Feel healthier and happier. Studies show that volunteering can lower stress, improve your mood, and even benefit your physical health.
- Gain purpose. Helping others gives you a sense of meaning that can lift your spirits, especially during the busy holiday season.
How You Can Get Started
If you’re feeling the holiday pressure this year, I encourage you to consider volunteering. It doesn’t have to be a significant commitment — even a few hours can make a difference. Look for opportunities in your community, such as soup kitchens, shelters, schools, environmental clean-ups, senior centers, or local nonprofits.
Choose causes that resonate with your values — those you genuinely care about — and go in with a heart full of kindness. The benefits, as research has shown, are real and long-lasting.
Volunteering during the holidays is a beautiful way to embody the spirit of giving and promote mental and physical health — for those you help, and for you.
This season, give a little of your time. The returns — joy, purpose, connection, well-being — might be the best holiday gift you can give yourself.
References:
Mayo Clinic Health System. (n.d.). Helping people, changing lives: 3 health benefits of volunteering. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/3-health-benefits-of-volunteering
Harvard Health Publishing. (2013, June 26). Volunteering may be good for body and mind. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/volunteering-may-be-good-for-body-and-mind-201306266428
OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (GPT-5-mini). Retrieved December 9, 2025,
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