Benefits of International Volunteering

By Madalina Ciobanu

You already know or can guess which are the most important reasons as of why one should go into an International Volunteer, from getting you out of your comfort zone, learning new things, developing yourself, making new friends, impacting the society, to creating memories and I am sure you can name even more. Yet, the twist in this article lays in the fact that I will talk about them too, but I will put the emphasis on the benefits of going abroad for your mental health and how it can make you a stronger person.

Without further ado, here are the five reasons:

1. Learning To Fight

Not literally, unless you want to take part into a project that includes that. If that is the case, by all means, do fight. If not, please, first, raise your hands(yes, all the ones you have available) if you have ever been through an anxiety attack. It is defined as a sudden fear or an unsettling feeling which appears at first glance without a known reason, yet sometimes it is proved to be a response to a certain trigger. The body gets into a flight or fight mode and most of people actually get into the flight mode. This one includes the feeling that you are frozen and can’t move or react. What if this time you can actually fight? Fight for you and your community. International volunteer will get you out of your comfort zone and will taste your limits in the most safe and pleasant way. It may sounds scary, but someone will always get your back, making sure you are safe and get the most of what you are doing.

2. Connection

2020  has been hard for all of us, from the health danger to the fact that we, to an extent, had to watch the life we knew fall to bits. Isolation has been one of the most used word this year and now we see that, on the longer run, it surely did kept us and our loved one safe from COVID-19, yet to our mental health, solitude caused great harm. Now it is crystal clear the importance of people and how vital is to make connections with others to live. Applying for an international volunteering can help you meet new people and what great way of connecting with people it is than by working together for something?

3. Finding a Purpose

One of the many reasons depression appears is the fact that we are unable to find a purpose. Changing your surrounding and trying new things can open new doors for you and your mind and before you know it, you can find a purpose. You will meet people from different cultures, hearing new ideas, gaining new insights about yourself and the world around you. It is a brand new world and it just waits for you to discover it and yourself too in the process.

4. Confidence

At times, most of us are struggling with confidence because of our daily step-backs in our lives. Volunteering abroad can give your confidence the most needed boost that will make it be more stable. Doing new things, enriching your knowledge, meeting new people from different culture will get you completely out of your comfort zone, therefore being able to do them will do great wonders for you. Whether your biggest fear is public speaking, being a leader or facing new situation, you will overcome them safely and these are going to be your newest skills. What you thought were your weaknesses are going to turn into your strenghts.

5. Live your potential to the fullest

Now, how many times have you stepped back out of something because you didn’t feel good enough or thought it wasn’t for you when instead you were actually scared? I bet at least once in your lifetime and I am here to tell you that it’s time to take your power back. AIESEC got your back and is here to remind you that you are capable of more than you are aware.

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Going away for a bit from the everyday normal life you are living can sound scary, yet by actually applying to one of our projects is guaranteed to improve your life and you are going to come back a new person with so many memories, skills and a refreshing mindset. By applying now on aiesec.org, a volunteer will call you and give you all the information you need, choose a project together and talk with someone that went on the same –or similar- project you wanna go and get the feedback you need.

Life happens now, as I write it and as you read it, and even after we both stop, it still goes on. Make the most of it together with AIESEC. Let us be a part of the story that is your life.