Why Unpaid Work pays off. | Kit Elms | TEDxNorwichED

This talk was designed to change the way that unpaid work is traditionally viewed by society; the benefits to the individual are endless, and should be more in focus when making the decision to volunteer. Studies show that taking part in unpaid work can drastically improve a person’s happiness, and therefore their state of mind. We should also be more aware of how easy it is to incorporate it into our busy schedules, even an hour a week can be effective for society and for yourself. For those of us who have both the time and resources to do this, we should consider it a privilege and an opportunity. Since Ancient Greek times, we have been aware of the need to find happiness in the present, rather than solely focusing on monetary gain or long-term goals, and unpaid work is a way of doing this.

Kit Elmes is an International Relations Student at UEA. She has committed a large amount of time to unpaid work, such as volunteering at homeless shelters and interning at Unicef Sudan. This has enabled her to secure a job with the British Red Cross Refugee Project at the age of nineteen. Kit is now dedicating her free time to learning Arabic and spreading awareness of the issues that Refugees and Asylum Seekers face abroad and in the UK.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx