Giving back doesn’t have to wait for a specific season or date. While initiatives like  Giving Tuesday serve as a reminder of the power of generosity, that spirit isn’t confined to a single day. Whether you're volunteering at a local park, organizing a beach clean-up, or donating to a cause you believe in, every action counts. No matter the time of year, your time, talent, and support can help create stronger, healthier communities and make a lasting difference.

And the benefits of giving back may extend beyond the people and places you're helping. Research suggests that volunteering can also support your mental, physical, and social well-being.

Here are three ways giving back may benefit your health, according to research.

1. Improve Mental Well-Being

Volunteering can provide a sense of purpose, improve mood, and create opportunities to connect with others.

• Research published in The Gerontologist showed some participants in a 20-year study reported having fewer depressive symptoms after volunteering. The study analyzed both the mental and physical health of volunteers helping with environmental stewardship.
• A study from the University of the South demonstrated that participating in “random acts of kindness” can elevate your mood moreso than if you had done something that focuses on benefiting yourself.
• Research published in BMC Public Health showed that “volunteering should be promoted by public health, education and policy practitioners as a kind of healthy lifestyle.”

2. Support Physical Health

Giving your time may also support healthier aging. Studies have linked volunteering with greater physical activity, better health outcomes, and lower mortality risk among older adults.

• A study published in Health Psychology examined how volunteering may be associated with lower mortality risk among older adults. Researchers found that social connections and physical health factors may help explain the relationship, although the findings do not establish that volunteering directly extends life.
• The International Journal of Psychophysiology published research found that those who “gave social support to others” typically had lower blood pressure.
• Research published in Health Psychology showed that older adults who volunteered (especially those who did so on a regular basis) “were at lower risk for mortality four years later.”

3. Build Stronger Social Connections

Volunteering brings people together around a shared purpose. Whether you're restoring a trail, helping at a community event, or supporting a local organization, giving back creates opportunities to build relationships and strengthen communities.

• Research published in BMC Public Health showed that “volunteering should be promoted by public health, education and policy practitioners as a kind of healthy lifestyle, especially for the social subgroups of elders, ethnic minorities, those with little education, single people, and unemployed people, who generally have poorer health and less participation in volunteering.”
• The systematic review in The Gerontologist also identified social benefits associated with volunteering, reinforcing the importance of connection and community participation, particularly as people age.

Put the Benefits of Giving Back Into Action

Ready to make a difference? Whether you're volunteering at a local park, restoring a trail, or supporting environmental education, there are many ways to give back.

Through National Public Lands Day, NEEF brings together volunteers across the country to care for the public lands we all share. You can also support NEEF's work by making a donation to help connect more people with nature.

^{Originally published: November 2019 • Updated}