Teacher5aday slowchat8

 

#teacher5aday 

#slowchat8

#volunteer

This year I have volunteered to talk about #volunteer because it can be great for your wellbeing. Join in on Friday 30th October with responses to questions throughout the day. 

I was gifted a book a few years ago called The year of yes by Shonda Rhimes. It inspired me to say yes to lots of amazing things. Emails inviting me to stand for a professional election post, talking on the BBC, sharing the stage at a national exhibition centre etc. This book made me step up to the plate when I could see that volunteering would have a significant impact on others. I had never said yes to so many things. Volunteering opened up my world, helped me connect beyond my day to day sphere of connections. I learnt I was capable of so much more, even when things terrified me. I noticed that the more I said yes - the more volunteering opportunities opened up. 

For those who know me I’m not a natural socialiser. In fact I find meeting and talking to people exhausting so a year of embracing events where I volunteered started to become too much. So I fell back on another book called No! this book complimented the year of yes and clarified the need to say no. Wellbeing can be enhanced by saying yes, however saying no is also needed to find a balance. By saying no I was able to hone in on the volunteering which gave me energy rather than exhausted me. My year of yes was needed and now I look back at the volunteering I did noticing what I learnt. 

2020 may be the year you think you just need to look after yourself. Volunteering may help your wellbeing. Join in the slow chat with these questions. 

• Do you ever #notice opportunities to #volunteer and don’t say yes? What stops you from saying yes?
• Do you ever sit down and measure the impact of when you #volunteer on your own wellbeing and others?
• Do you ever carry out micro-volunteering in school? Could you do something next term? Cover for someone’s duty? Bring your colleagues a hot drink? Run a zoom quiz? 
• What have you seen others do as a #volunteer that you would like to do? How will you change things to make it happen? 
• Could you link #volunteer with #connect #learn #exercise and notice? What could you do to maximise your choices without being a drain on your wellbeing?