Busy professionals can give back, too

Volunteering one’s time can be a beneficial undertaking. The Mayo Clinic reports research has shown that volunteering can improve physical and mental health and provide a sense of purpose, all the while teaching valuable skills. Unfortunately, many busy individuals lament that they simply do not have the time to volunteer.
Although charitable work requires an investment of time, busy professionals may find that there are plenty of opportunities to get involved that do not require making a sizable time commitment. Here is how to fit volunteering into your day no matter how busy you might be.
• Start volunteer efforts at work. One way to incorporate charitable work into your week is to pioneer a program at your place of employment. This approach can increase interest in volunteerism among colleagues, and depending on your employers’ flexibility, time spent volunteering may take place during working hours. This means you can still fulfill your non-work-related obligations when the workday ends.
• Volunteer remotely. If finding something that fits with your schedule is challenging, try searching for online opportunities, suggests My Selfless Act, an online platform for sharing stories of do-goodery. By volunteering remotely, you can customize the time you volunteer to when you’re available. You even can work with someone in another time zone.
• Prioritize volunteering. Sometimes not having enough time for charitable work comes down to simply poor time management. If you make volunteering a priority, you can likely find ways to streamline your workday and free up opportunities to get involved.
• Ask for help. Identify people who are supportive and can lend a helping hand so you can find time to volunteer. Delegate some of your tasks to free up time for philanthropic endeavors.
• Seek opportunities that require shorter time commitments. Plenty of charities have volunteer opportunities that do not require a significant investment of time. Micro-events, or volunteer work that is set up in shifts, merit consideration.
• Look for easy registration. Signing up to volunteer should be easy. Let the sign-up be a tell as to how complicated an opportunity may be. Organizations that provide digital access or a quick sign-up process likely value volunteers’ time.
Groups looking to attract busy volunteers also should be mindful of keeping volunteer opportunities punctual and organized. If volunteers feel that their time is being wasted, they may be less likely to commit long-term.
Busy professionals will find that, with a little flexibility, it is possible to find time to volunteer.