Volunteering is a great way to use your talents to benefit others. But while it has a number of benefits, volunteering can also drain you of your energy, especially if you’re pursuing it on top of an already busy career. You’ll soon find out that you must learn how to recharge when you often volunteer, as this is necessary if you wish to continue benefiting others in this way. Below are a few of the ways you can recharge when you’re feeling close to burnout.
Do Something Fun With Other Volunteers
As you volunteer more regularly, you’ll likely begin to form friendships with other volunteers. As a way to recharge, you and your newfound friends should do something fun together, unrelated to volunteering. While your steady presence in the volunteering world is likely appreciated, you also need to know when you need a break. Getting together with friends you made from volunteering can offer you a much-needed refresher that you were in need of.
Prioritize Your Sleep
If you’re going through your days switching from your day job to volunteering to taking care of your family to trying to squeeze in a little bit of free time, you’ll likely grow exhausted rather quickly. While following the same pattern can help add a routine to your life, it also doesn’t leave much room for recharging. Oftentimes, the first thing people sacrifice is their sleep, which leads to further exhaustion. If you want to continue putting your best foot forward in your volunteering efforts, you need to prioritize your sleep. This might look like saying no to Netflix a night or cutting some meetings short throughout your day. Whatever you decide to do to make room for sleep, you’ll be thankful for it as you see your energy levels rise again.
Take a Break From Technology
While technology was meant to make our lives easier, it actually can drain a lot of your energy. Being constantly plugged in also means your brain is frequently at work, processing information from dawn to dusk. You might not be realizing that this is draining your energy rather than giving you energy. As you return home or have a moment of silence to yourself, consider saying no to technology and rather refreshing yourself in other ways. Maybe you’ll decide to indulge in a board game, bake, or even take a simple bath. You’ll be surprised to find just how much more you can get recharged by taking a break from technology for even just a day.