The brain is a complex and dynamic system in which different regions and networks are in constant communication with one another. Many mental processes such as thinking, decision-making, emotional regulation, and forming social relationships occur through the simultaneous activation of various brain areas. This complex functioning demonstrates that the brain is a flexible and developable organ. Therefore, to enhance the brain’s functional capacity, it is important not to focus on a single skill alone but to engage in experiences that activate multiple domains at once.
For example, professional basketball players do not only improve their shooting skills. They also train their reflexes, emotional resilience, and strategic thinking abilities. This coordinated engagement of different brain regions enhances overall performance. This way, the brain stays active and real progress is made in the desired area of development.
Volunteering As An Experience That Keeps The Brain Active
An active brain is one of the fundamental conditions for healthy aging (Sharifi et al., 2024). Daily routines can keep our cognitive abilities engaged to a certain extent. However, some experiences stimulate both the emotional and cognitive centers of the brain simultaneously. Volunteering is one such experience. The reason is that participating in a social project or taking an active role in an organization requires empathy, decision-making, managing social relationships, and problem-solving all at the same time.
The main brain regions activated during volunteering include:
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Prefrontal Cortex: Responsible for executive functions such as decision-making, planning, prioritizing tasks, and developing strategies. When planning a volunteering activity, the prefrontal cortex plays a key role in deciding what will be done, for whom, when, how, and in assessing potential risks (Carlson et al., 2009).
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Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC): Involved in emotional regulation and coping with social conflicts. Emotional challenges encountered during volunteering are managed by this region. For instance, in volunteer work involving children, becoming overly emotionally attached, making unrealistic promises, or engaging in excessive empathy may negatively affect the work being done. The ACC helps balance emotion and reason, enabling appropriate social responses (Lockwood et al., 2020).
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Nucleus Accumbens: Closely linked to the brain’s reward system, this structure plays an important role in the feelings of intrinsic satisfaction, joy, and meaning experienced during volunteering. The happiness felt after helping others arises through dopamine release in this area, encouraging the continuation and repetition of voluntary behaviors.
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Temporo-Parietal Junction (TPJ): One of the central hubs of social cognition, the TPJ enables us to understand others’ perspectives and intuitively grasp their intentions. An effective volunteering experience requires not only helping but also anticipating how and whom to help. This is made possible through the active functioning of the TPJ.
All these processes activate different brain regions and help maintain neuropsychological functions. While contributing to others on this volunteer journey, we also, often without realizing it, invest in our own mental health.
Neuroplasticity: The Brain’s Power To Renew Itself
When learning something new, developing habits, or experiencing life events, the brain forms new connections between neurons. These connections strengthen with continued use, while unused ones weaken or disappear completely. In this way, the brain clears unnecessary information, focuses on what is relevant, and functions more efficiently. This adaptability is known as neuroplasticity. Thanks to neuroplasticity, individuals can learn new information, acquire new habits, and recover from negative experiences such as trauma.
Emotionally and cognitively rich experiences like volunteering directly support neuroplasticity because it is most strongly activated when multiple brain regions are engaged simultaneously and intensively. Organizing an event, for example, requires generating new ideas, planning, anticipating potential problems, crisis management, and many other skills. This activates a broad neural network and strengthens synaptic connections. As a result, the brain is challenged, undergoes change, and becomes more adaptable to new situations.
The brain is a structure that develops through use. Meaningful and multifaceted experiences, such as volunteering, provide a powerful foundation for this development. Human change occurs not only through thinking but also through feeling, connecting, and creating meaning—and it is precisely at these points that the brain begins to transform.
Sustainable Volunteering For The Brain, Mind, And Society
Volunteering is not merely a social responsibility; it is a way of life that nourishes our mental, emotional, and social well-being. By activating multiple brain regions simultaneously, it supports neuroplasticity and stimulates cognitive functions. However, for these effects to be lasting, volunteering must become a habit. Over time, it transforms from a single action into a meaningful part of one’s identity. Seeing oneself as someone who contributes to society provides inner motivation and helps protect mental health throughout the aging process.
Volunteering is a sustainable form of goodness that keeps both the brain and the soul active. And perhaps this is why the moments when we feel our best are often the moments when we touch the lives of others the most.