Volunteers help communities with critical work, such as serving on boards of worthy organizations, fundraising for important causes, donating time to mentor students and cleaning up public areas for a safer, more beautiful neighborhood. Many retirement coaches suggest volunteering once someone has stopped working due to the long list of benefits for a person’s health and wellness.

Here’s why you should take up community service as you get older.

How Does Volunteering Benefit Retirees?

1. Boost Brain Power

Staying active and doing volunteer work promotes cognitive health. Productive tasks have been proven to keep issues like memory loss at bay as you age. The socialization involved in collaborative tasks can also reduce feelings of isolation, especially in times of the Covid crisis.

2. Stay Active

Getting older can sometimes make physical activity harder if not challenging. But, when you sign up as a volunteer, it’s easier to keep moving because there’s a purpose behind it. A lot of volunteer work will get you out of the apartment or out of the house and give you the chance to walk around the community, clean up a park, plant flowers, collect donations, or help out a local church or soup kitchen. There may even be opportunities to improve fitness while making a difference, such as volunteering with recreational youth sports teams who need extra hands during this time of social distancing.

3. Connect With All Ages

There doesn’t have to be a generation gap between young and old acquaintances. Retirement is an excellent time to connect with younger people.

Volunteering and working with a variety of age groups allows everyone to get to know and understand different backgrounds and perspectives. Each group can offer their life experience to expand everyone’s knowledge and respect for each other.

If you’re looking for a retirement coach, whether it be in Manhattan or Los Angeles or somewhere inbetween, contact Executive Coach Margaret M. Enloe, Esq. This life coach holds a Master Coaching Certification from the Hudson Institute, as well as the Professional Coach Certification from the International Coach Federation. You can count on her expertise to guide you through the process of transitioning to a meaningful retirement. Visit her website for more on her retirement coach services, or email me@margaretenloe.com to schedule a consultation.