The Health Benefits of Being Civic Minded

Zac Barnett, a Hinsdale, Illinois attorney, has 20 years of experience as a lawyer offering professional legal advice to clients in the financial services industry. Asides from his role as an attorney and managing partner at Fund Finance Partners, Zac Barnett is very civic-minded, giving his time to charities and local organizations.

Donating one’s time to civic organizations offers health advantages. Companies have long known that giving employees time off to vote has benefits for the community, creating service opportunities on Election Day, and making donations do wonders for company morale, but on the individual level, those who participate are rewarded in a few ways.

For one, by donating one’s time, they are building social capital or connections to the community. These connections present other opportunities to be active, including physically, according to a 2016 article published in the American Journal of Behavioral Health.

Additionally, those who volunteer receive positive health impacts, as it relates to their psychological well-being and emotional health. The social connections that are developed from volunteering result in decreased levels of depression and anxiety with one 2016 study published in the academic journal Gerontologist reporting that those who volunteer have fewer risks for cardiovascular disease. Further, participating in groups reduces the chance that a person is isolated.