The roller coaster effect of Voluntarism on Mental Health

For those considering volunteering;
For those who are already doing it;
For those who did it and either loved it or
felt it bittersweet.

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That’s my story of the roller coaster it has been.
Maybe, just maybe you can relate to some of it…        

It is (Im)possible

Eight years – this much time has passed since I first speculated with the idea to start #volunteering for the business travel industry. I was the new kid on the block, didn’t really know much about the ins and outs of #travelmanagement, had no network whatsoever… but plenty of desire to learn, grow and give back.

Still remember vividly the first network meeting of the local business travel association I attended. It was inspiring, energizing, learning on steroids experience and yet, it felt overwhelming and slightly disheartening – would I be ever accepted in that circle of high profile individuals? What could I offer them that they did not already know?

It felt Impossible!

I parked those thoughts and focused on learning, understanding, connecting the dots between the many elements of the ever-evolving business travel ecosystem.

I was grateful for all those amazing peers who supported me in getting the basics in place and I felt I wanted to give back – to them and to many others who might struggle to find their foot in the industry. And why not change a thing or two along the way…

Overcoming fears and insecurities, I started raising my hand more and more often until one day someone believed in me strongly enough

to make it all Possible!

I got elected for the Board of the local business travel association – a responsibility I never took lightly, a service dedicated to others and a commitment to go far and beyond.?

Passion is an unstoppable force until it’s no longer enough

For quite long (much longer than I would ever wish to acknowledge publicly) I had this romantic (or rather na?ve) belief that if you put your heart and soul into it, it would all come together at one point. For an as much of a rational individual I am, I allowed myself to believe that passion was what was making the difference.

And it was… to a certain extend. Passion paired with hard work, grit and grind has always been a successful recipe in my cookbook. It helped open doors I never thought I could open – over time I got involved in several volunteering initiatives across the #businesstravel industry – from position paper writing, to leading major undertakings related to #sustainablebusinesstravel and everything in between.

I was in a giving mood, convinced that if we used the collective power of passion and discipline, we could make a huge impact on our industry.

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The fire in me was burning and I was expecting the same from all the other volunteers I came across with…

The reality check came on several occasions, the latter under my task force leadership assignment.

I was remembered that people were driven by different motivators, that passion was simply not enough… Not for everyone.

From riding the wave of positivity (or rather idealism) to the darkest deeps of feeling betrayed, frustrated and even depressed…. I still love volunteering and believe in the greater good we try to achieve through it, but after those episodes, I will never see it the same again…

The safe island that grows thorns

There was time in my career when it didn’t felt good at work. It had all become a survival exercise day in and day out with little to no professional development on the horizon.

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During those times, volunteering became my safe island, my escape from the “reality” place where meeting likeminded individuals provided that much needed energy to keep pushing my own boundaries, de-learning and re-learning as days go by.

The more down I was at work, the more effort I put in volunteering. And why shouldn’t I?

?…Because it was addictive and it was feeding the vicious circle I was in. It was simply not sustainable.

To be fair, I delivered some of my best results for the community while I was debating in my head how to prevent my safe island from growing thorns… It was tough mentally. The pendulum was constantly switching between the altruistic giving and the expectation of receiving recognition, this pat on the shoulder that reconfirmed your value in others’ eyes.

It was time to break free. To choose wise, to choose with heart and mind in junction, to say “no” to some things and be ok with it.

Close your eyes and enjoy the ride

Volunteering taught me to go for things, to overcome the imposter syndrome (don’t worry, it is still luring somewhere waiting for its moment to strike back), to trust even more my instincts, to enjoy the ride….

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It also put a couple of things into perspective, the most significant one being the roller coaster effect of #voluntarism on #wellbeing and #mentalhealth.

To those who consider volunteering – please give it a try

To those who are already doing it – be present, observe and evaluate 
whether you are in the right spot

To those who did it and loved it – keep enjoying it, please

To those who did it and felt it bittersweet – savour the sweetness 
and swallow the bitterness