Navigating volunteering: Expert advice from Crisis Text Line
Your questions answered by real mental health professionals
Our Ask a Therapist series gets answers to your questions about mental health from real therapists. Today we’re partnering with the clinical team at Crisis Text Line to get your questions answered.
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"I recently started volunteering at a local shelter because I wanted to give back and thought it would help with my depression. But seeing so much need and despair is really hard, and I'm struggling to process it all. How can I protect my mental health while still being present and helpful to those who need me?"
Volunteering your time to support others is extremely generous of you and you should be proud of the work you have been doing! With that being said, there is a belief that helping others who might “have it worse” can alleviate depressive or negative feelings and “put things into perspective”. I want to caution you to not give in to this notion. There is no hierarchy of suffering and just because you might be dealing with different issues than someone else, it doesn’t mean that your concerns are any less valid or stressful. I say this so that you can explore your reasons for giving your time through volunteering and think about how it has impacted you.
If volunteering still feels like a helpful practice, there are a few things you can do to protect your mental health as you support others. Having some sort of ritual or practice to leave the stressors of volunteering outside of the door can be helpful in giving you some space during the rest of the day. For example, if you drive to the volunteering site, take the scenic route home and listen to some favorite music. This can signal that ‘shift’ from volunteering to a different phase of your day. In addition, having someone to talk to in order to process these feelings can be helpful in sorting them out. Perhaps you have a trusted friend or family member in your life who can talk things through with you. Remember, we’re also here to help. If you ever need to vent or if you want to talk to another volunteer, you can always text IDM to 741741 to speak to a live volunteer crisis counselor 24/7, confidentially and free. Lastly, taking care of yourself through healthy coping skills, like listening to music, can give you some space to reflect on the positive things in your life and what you need. Remember, you are doing all you can within the scope of your role, and you can’t pour from an empty cup. So in order to be able to support others, you should make time to support yourself. Self-care is a necessity.
"As a volunteer, I'm exposed to a lot of suffering and trauma that I find hard to shake off when I go home. What strategies can help me leave these emotions at the door and not bring them into my personal life?"
It’s commendable that you’re volunteering and supporting others in need! To effectively help others, it’s equally as important to take care of yourself so you are in the right mindspace to be there for others. Also know, it’s perfectly normal to feel like it’s hard to shake off some emotions you encounter. Luckily there are ways to help manage and process these emotions:
1. Establish boundaries between your volunteering and when you are off-duty. This creates a balance between volunteer and personal life so you have time set aside for yourself and devoted time to not be engaged in your on-duty activities.
2. Develop rituals or activities that help you transition from your volunteer work to your personal life. This could be something as simple as taking a few minutes to decompress, taking a bath or shower, listening to music, or going for a walk before moving into your next activity after volunteering. This allows your mind and body some time to seamlessly transition and gives you space between the two different work mindsets.
3. Practice mindfulness or relaxation techniques to help you stay grounded and centered. Deep breathing, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation can be effective in calming your mind and body, making it easier to process emotions and stay grounded when you are not volunteering.
4. Find a trusted friend, family member, or counselor to talk to about your experiences. Sharing your feelings with someone who understands can help you process your emotions and prevent them from building up inside. Knowing that you're not alone in what you're feeling can provide comfort and validation. You can always text 741741 for Crisis Text Line to talk to someone for free, 24/7 if needed in English and Spanish.
5. Engaging in self-care practices before or after volunteering can help rejuvenate you. This could include hobbies, exercise, spending time with loved ones, or simply relaxing with a good book or movie.
Remember, taking care of yourself isn’t selfish and it’s normal to take on an emotional load when volunteering. Developing strategies to help is essential for your wellbeing and the most selfless thing you can do to continue helping others effectively. Finding a good routine takes time, so be patient and gentle with yourself. You got this!
"I want to volunteer, but I'm already juggling so much with work and friends and life. How can I find the right balance without burning out even more?"
Volunteering to support others is rewarding but can definitely be time consuming! When figuring out how to fit volunteering into your day or week, it is important to realistically look at how much time you can dedicate to volunteering and what a specific organization requires of you. Volunteering at your own expense can impact both the quality of support that you are able to offer to others, as well as impact your own quality of life. For example, if you can only offer four hours per week, that is perfectly okay! That is four more hours of support that an organization will have that they did not have previously from you. Finding an organization that can accommodate your time constraints or be lenient with shifts might be helpful in allowing you to pick an extra shift up when you can, or cancel if something else comes up in your life that you need to attend to. Remember, you don’t need to feel burdened to give more time than you can. Being realistic can set solid expectations and boundaries for both yourself and the organization to which you give your time.
In addition, sticking to a consistent schedule might support you in organizing your other obligations and volunteer work. If you have an opening on a specific day or days, consider regularly volunteering at those times. That can alleviate any guesswork, especially during loaded weeks. And lastly, make sure that you are taking time for yourself. Volunteering is important, but you can’t help others if you don’t help yourself first. Take some time to get some rest or self-care so that you can feel healthy and able to support others.
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While volunteering can have its challenges, it can also be extremely rewarding. At Crisis Text Line, our volunteers work remotely, on their computers, answering texts. They volunteer from their couches, favorite coffee shop, in their pjs – whatever allows them to feel comfortable and better assist our texters. Thanks to volunteers like you, we’re able to support individuals in need for free and 24/7. Volunteer today!
Content is for informational purposes only and is not meant to serve as medical advice or to replace consultation with your physician or mental health professional.