It’s official, studies by the London School of Economics have shown that people who volunteered as little as once a month reported feeling happier than the general population as a whole.

Even better, people said that the more regularly they volunteered, the more these feelings of happiness increased, with those who give their time on a weekly basis feeling the ‘glow’ most of all.

There are other healthy benefits too. People who volunteer and give their time to help others often experience improved physical health, not needing to visit the doctor so much and needing less medication.

They were also generally more physically active.

It’s not just great for physical wellbeing either, volunteering has also been shown to have a hugely positive impact on mental health, with people who volunteered saying that they felt less depressed, less isolated and much more involved in their community as a whole.

With all that it’s got going for it, volunteering really does sound like the best way to stay happy and healthy.

For more information on volunteering in the New Forest click on the Volunteering tab above or visit www.do-it.org to explore local roles.

Further information and links to the above studies can be found at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/noelle-nelson/give-yourself-the-happies_b_8812328.html