What are the best strategies for developing resilience in a volunteering career?

Volunteering can be a rewarding and meaningful way to contribute to a cause, community, or organization that you care about. However, it can also be challenging, stressful, and emotionally draining at times. How can you cope with the difficulties and uncertainties that may arise in your volunteering career? How can you develop resilience, the ability to bounce back from adversity and grow from it? In this article, we will share some of the best strategies for building resilience in a volunteering career, based on research and experience.

1 Understand your motivation

One of the first steps to developing resilience in a volunteering career is to understand why you are doing it. What are your values, goals, and passions that drive you to volunteer? How do they align with the mission and vision of the organization or project you are working with? By clarifying your motivation, you can remind yourself of the purpose and meaning of your work, especially when you face challenges or setbacks. You can also use your motivation as a guide to set realistic and achievable expectations for yourself and your role.

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2 Build a supportive network

Another key strategy for developing resilience in a volunteering career is to build a supportive network of people who can help you cope, learn, and grow. This can include fellow volunteers, staff, mentors, friends, family, or other people who share your interests and values. A supportive network can provide you with emotional, practical, and informational support, as well as feedback, advice, and encouragement. You can also use your network to share your successes, challenges, and stories, and to celebrate your achievements and milestones.

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3 Manage your stress

Volunteering can be stressful for various reasons, such as high demands, limited resources, complex problems, ethical dilemmas, or emotional distress. To ensure your stress does not affect your health, performance, or motivation it is important to manage it effectively and proactively. You can do this by identifying and avoiding or reducing your stressors, practicing self-care, seeking help when needed, and learning from your stress. For example, reducing unrealistic deadlines, conflicting priorities, or unclear expectations; getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, meditating or engaging in hobbies or activities that relax you; reaching out to your network for support; talking to a counselor or coach; and reflecting on what caused the stress and how you reacted to it.

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Jack Abrey BEM

Head of Youth Engagement at WWF-UK
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Managing your stress and promoting positive wellbeing is crucial throughout our whole lives - for me, I do this through: - Building in 'buffer time' between meetings, rather than going from one things to another straight away - give your brain time to recover. - Commit to your hobbies - I've previously been poor at this, but a huge learning for me is that I'm a better person AND professional when I ensure I make time for these. - Don't be afraid to ask for help - talking to someone: a friend, colleague or counsellor can be transformational. Don't try and cope in silence.

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4 Embrace challenges and opportunities

Another strategy for developing resilience in a volunteering career is to embrace challenges and opportunities as ways to learn, grow, and improve. Instead of seeing difficulties as threats or failures, you can view them as feedback, lessons, or experiments. Doing this can help you gain new skills, knowledge, or competencies that can enhance your performance, confidence, or satisfaction. It can also open up new perspectives, ideas, or approaches that can broaden your understanding, creativity, or innovation. Plus, it can strengthen your relationships, collaboration, or communication with others who can support you, challenge you, or inspire you.

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5 Cultivate a positive mindset

Developing resilience in a volunteering career requires cultivating a positive mindset, such as optimism, gratitude, a growth mindset, and self-compassion. Optimism is having faith that you can overcome obstacles and achieve your goals. Gratitude is the appreciation of what you have, what you do, and what you learn. A growth mindset is the belief that you can improve your abilities and outcomes through effort, feedback, and learning. Self-compassion is being kind to yourself and accepting your strengths and weaknesses. Through these strategies, you can develop resilience in your volunteering career and reap the rewards of personal and professional growth, well-being, and fulfillment.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Brian Tenclinger, M.S.Ed

Volunteer Engagement Expert, Cultural Change Agent
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Keep an eye toward the future of what time and talent will mean to the organization. You may not see your impact immediately which can be frustrating at times. But it does accumulate and will be felt for years to come.

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Monica Wildes, MHS

Talent Whisperer | Building diverse and inclusive leadership teams, one career at a time. Travel Agent | Curating memorable vacation experiences
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The most important thing to remember as a volunteer is to give from your overflow and to serve in an area that you are passionate about. "Heart work" can be extremely stressful. When compounded with the stresses of everyday life, it can become burdensome, and overbearing and prevents you from giving/presenting your best self. It is ok to say "no" when you need a moment. It is okay to take a break when it is necessary. It is also okay to not accept assignments and/or responsibilities that do not resonate with your desires (spirit). Be fully clear and transparent on your "why" and be sure to communicate this with the organization you connect with. Volunteering can be rewarding when we are serving from our best selves.

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Kelly Torres Betancurt

I help you to tell and boost your social and environmental impact stories to connect with your audience 🍃 Tips to boost your Corporate Volunteer Program
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If you decide to become a volunteer, it is because you have a deep purpose in your life to make a meaningful impact on others' lives. Like everything else in our lives, we have to face situations that drain our motivation, but in the end, that life purpose has to be stronger than anything else. Stay focused, keep your eyes on your purpose. Explore, study, look for ways to stand firm, and if you don't find them, create them, there is no other way. No one will do it better than you.

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What are the best strategies for developing resilience in a volunteering career?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Understand your motivation

2 Build a supportive network

3 Manage your stress

4 Embrace challenges and opportunities

5 Cultivate a positive mindset

6 Here’s what else to consider

Volunteering

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What are the best strategies for developing resilience in a volunteering career?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Understand your motivation

2 Build a supportive network

3 Manage your stress

4 Embrace challenges and opportunities

5 Cultivate a positive mindset

6 Here’s what else to consider

Volunteering

Rate this article

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