Volunteering eases the transition from employment to retirement, according to research from the University of Cologne.

The study, conducted by researchers Paula Steinhoff, Lea Ellwardt and Maya Wermeyer from the Institute for Sociology and Social Psychology at the University of Cologne, investigated the effects of volunteering on a person’s well-being. They found that volunteer roles offered people more than just social interaction, it gave them a sense of purpose.

Furthermore, because of this sense of purpose participants felt when volunteering, the study found that many people felt it helped them with the transition from employment to retirement.

“One participant has already planned to join an additional volunteer organisation on retirement to feel useful in retirement,” says Lea Ellwardt, “the participant said ‘Because when I retire, I want to be active. So, if I do more for the world, it ultimately makes me feel good.’

The results suggest that promoting low-threshold volunteering can be an effective strategy for improving mental health and social cohesion – especially for those who are middle and older age.

To get these results, the researchers did interviews with people aged 40-80 over 12 months.