I am a big fan of volunteering my time to causes that I support. With my back being as bad as it was and with the fibro I was unable to volunteer for the last 2 years and it really took a toll on me and my self-esteem. The fibro is so bad that I can’t work a regular day gig kind of job where there are deadlines and schedules, because I never know from one day to the next whether I am gonna have enough spoons to get out of bed much less get into a job and be productive.
I volunteer for a very selfish reason – it makes me feel good. Being able to work towards a goal and helping out with something I care about makes me very happy. My time is valued and appreciated. My work does something good. I get out of the house and meet with people who are most likely animal loving misanthropes like myself.
Beside just getting out there and doing something the first bit of advice I would give is make it a cause you relate to. If you don’t like helping people – don’t volunteer for an organization that helps people. If you don’t like animals, don’t go looking for feel good days working with animals. It really is as simple as that.
Volunteering and being active with the causes that you care about is really the best way to make a difference.