Lockdown has taught me the importance of using my skills to help others succeed

Simply reaching out to those in your community might seem small, but it could make the world of difference to someone, writes Stephanie Conway

Helping people set up new businesses from home has been very rewarding (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The coronavirus crisis and Black Lives Matter movement have show that we all have to be in this together. If we want to beat systematic racism, an economic downturn, and a global health crisis, we all have to do our part.

Now more than ever, we need to build a sense of community, and lift each other up so that no one gets left behind. But you don’t have to be rich or noteworthy to give back. Everyone has the ability to take advantage of our own strengths and share them with others.

Helping not only benefits the receiver, but research has proven that it’s also good for our own mental and physical health. Take the 2008 financial crisis as an example. One year after thousands of people had lost their homes and jobs, researcher Stephen Post and his colleagues at Stony Brook University surveyed 4,500 people on their volunteering habits and mental health. They found that 89 per cent of people felt happier overall after helping others, and 78 per cent said that helping others helped them deal with disappointment and loss.