Why Volunteering Feels So Good

Have you ever finished a volunteer project and thought, “Wow — I feel amazing!” You’re not imagining it. There’s real science on why lending a hand feels so great for your body, mind, and spirit. And when you combine volunteering with movement — like walking, biking, or running — the benefits multiply.

Let’s break down why volunteering feels so good — and why the active part of Stride to Serve makes it even better.

1. Volunteering Lights You Up — Literally and Emotionally

Studies show that helping others activates the brain’s reward pathways. When you volunteer, your body releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine and endorphins, which boost mood and reduce stress. That’s part of the reason people talk about a “helper’s high.”

Researchers at the University of Exeter found that volunteers experience the same sort of emotional boost as people who exercise or take antidepressants — without the prescription.

2. The Health Benefits Are Real

Volunteering isn’t just good for your brain — it’s good for your body too:

• Greater happiness: Research shows that people who volunteer are happier, and that volunteering changes people to become happier than they were before volunteering.

• Lower stress levels: Helping others is linked to lower blood pressure and reduced stress hormones.

• Longer life: Multiple studies suggest that people who volunteer tend to live longer.

• Boosted heart health: Acts of service are associated with better cardiovascular outcomes.

One powerful theory psychologists point to is the Generativity Drive — the desire to contribute to the well-being of other people, including future generations. Erik Erikson, a developmental psychologist, described generativity as a core human motivation — especially in adulthood — that brings deep psychological satisfaction. In other words, we’re wired to feel good when we help.

3. Move Your Body, Boost Your Mood — Twice the Benefits

If volunteering is good, then exercise + volunteering is a game changer.

Movement on its own has huge benefits:

• Releases endorphins (natural mood lifters)

• Improves sleep and energy

• Reduces anxiety and depression

• Increases brain health

When you combine movement with meaningful service, you get:

• More endorphins (from exercise)

• More oxytocin (from social connection)

• More dopamine (from helping others)

In short — your mind and body get double the reward.

Which might be why research shows that volunteering in sports activities provides more benefit for participants than other kinds of volunteering.

That’s the philosophy behind Stride to Serve:

Make service social. Make service active. Make service good for everyone — including you.

Things to Keep In Mind

A few points to consider:

• Formal group volunteering significantly boosts well-being more than informal volunteering.

• Monthly volunteering correlates with life satisfaction gains comparable to employment transitions.

• Higher volunteering frequency yields greater well-being; weekly volunteering triples benefits of occasional volunteering.

At Stride to Serve, we build our program to give our participants the most benefit possible. We make finding volunteer opportunities easy and organize our events to provide the best experience.

Final Thoughts

Volunteering feels so good because it feeds essential parts of what makes us human — connection, purpose, and impact. We’re wired to feel better when we do good. When you add movement to the mix, you’re not just making the world better — you’re making you better too.

Ready to feel great and do good? Let’s stride — together.