This article was first posted to LInked In on October 18, 2016 and was written by Amanda-Jane, who holds the intellectual property of this article. The below post has been edited for this website.
Do you volunteer your time, skills, and resources to assist others either in an informal ad hoc way or via a more formalised group or association? Have you stopped to think what motivates you to do so? I volunteer in both informal ad hoc capacities as well as in a more formal framework in associations. I have reflected on why I volunteer and found I do so for several reasons. As part of my reflection I decided to read research journal articles to find out more about volunteering motivators. According to an article, written over 38 years ago, people volunteer for a psychological pay off. The person expects to receive something in return for contributing as a volunteer (Anderson and Moore, 1978). They may for example expect to develop skills, meet new people, obtain a career advantage, or to feel a sense of self-worth as they have done something to help others. Cary and Snyder (1999) found six main functions served by volunteering which equate with the findings of Anderson and Moore (1978). The six functions were listed as values, understanding, enhancement, career, social and protective. A person may volunteer because they feel it is important to help others or to participate in their community. Some volunteers may be motivated to understand more about their community or learn through hands-on experience. Others may volunteer as they feel the work will develop or enhance them as a person and help them to feel better about themselves. Some people may volunteer as it they feel it will assist them to gain the career or promotion they desire. People may volunteer for social reasons, they may wish to network with people who share common goals or gain new friends. Lastly people may volunteer to help protect themselves by reducing their own negative feelings or to have temporary escape from their own problems (Cary and Snyder, 1999). More recent research groups these motivations into two main areas, whereby people volunteer because of a symbolic sociological reason and/or a functional psychological reason (Wilson, 2000). A sociologic motivation may inspire people with strong values and beliefs to give their time and resources free to assist others, whereas a functional psychological motivation relates to a person’s psychological needs being met by volunteering. A study by Thoits and Hewitt (2001) found that volunteering contributes to improved well-being including better self-esteem, psychological health, and happiness. Given the assertions of Anderson and Moore (1978) that people volunteer for a psychological pay off are these factors discussed by Thoits and Hewitt (2001) also motivators to volunteer or are they serendipitous byproducts of volunteering and not part of the initiating motivators? I volunteer in a variety of areas in an informal manner and also in more formalised positions, such as in my work with AISA (Australian Information Security Association). I volunteer in areas that I firmly believe in; in associations and for causes that I feel give value to the community. I am motivated by a desire to give back to the community, to use my skills, to meet with like-minded people, and to have fun in doing so! The serendipitous byproduct of volunteering for me is that I have met people who have become friends, I have developed as a person, improved my by default low self esteem and learned new skills. I also have had some amazing opportunities because of being a volunteer that I would not normally have had. Do your motivations for volunteering equate to any or all of these? Do you have different views on what motivates you to volunteer? What are your experiences with volunteering? References Anderson, J. C., & Moore, L. F. (1978). The motivation to volunteer.Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 7(3), 120-129. Clary, E. G., & Snyder, M. (1999). The motivations to volunteer theoretical and practical considerations. Current directions in psychological science,8(5), 156-159. Thoits, P. A., & Hewitt, L. N. (2001). Volunteer work and well-being. Journal of health and social behavior, 115-131. Wilson, J. (2000). Volunteering. Annual Review of Sociology, 26, 215-40. This article first appeared in the Australian Women in Security Network blog, it was written by and is the intellectual property of Amanda-Jane, the Australian Lead of CCM, and has been edited for use in this site.
What happens when we have a bad day at work? When work has left us feeling stressed and exhausted, how do we prevent the challenges of the work day from creeping insidiously into our home time with our family and friends? This is something many of us will face at some time during our working life. Even jobs we love, our dream jobs, may sometimes raise challenges and stressors to our day. These are not fool proof tips, they may not work for you, but they are suggestions for you to consider to help support you. It would be great to hear from you about what you do to keep work at work and not let the stress of the office come home with you. Feel free to post your ideas in the comments. Some of these strategies may not be practical for your situation and some ideas you may have tried and decided they don't work. The following however are coping procedures that may be of benefit to supporting a healthier work life balance and help to reduce the risk of bringing the stress of work home with you when you log out for the day. 1. Establish boundaries 2. Schedule YOU time 3. Appreciate the small things Establish Boundaries Just because you may be able to log into work after hours from home, unless you are on call or there is an urgent work need for you to do so, don't! Your home time is yours. Leave work at work. Resist the temptation to check your work emails from home and if you have a separate work mobile turn it off when you are home. Schedule YOU time If your work day is so full that you are driven by guilt to keep working once you have gone home, schedule a meeting for yourself, that is your time! Block out a chunk of time that is for you. An appointment you keep for yourself. Use this time to read, relax, stop thinking about work!! Appreciate the small things A challenging day at work can stop you appreciating the small things in a day that can bring you joy. When you leave your workplace notice what is around you. Pay attention to the little details that can bring joy. Is that a butterfly flitting around in front of you? Can you smell the delicious fragrance of coffee brewing? Does the sun feel nice and warm on your face? Is there a fresh chill in the air? Can you hear laughter? As you leave work leave work there. Work is not your life. Take a moment to notice small things that can bring joy. Hold onto that joy and take THAT home with you. How do you keep the challenges of work at work and not bring it home with you? References
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