How my volunteering in Canada helped me balance my emotional health?

Let’s #GETREAL. In full solidarity with CMHA’s Mental Health Week, I write my personal account of how my volunteering involvement in Canada helped me cope with my emotional health and in helping me navigate through uncertain times

“I arrived in Canada in May 2019; after a few visits to CN Tower, Niagara falls and some obvious touristy selfies later, I was aware that my honeymoon with Canada is over and I’ll have to pull up my socks to seek relevant employment. I was fairly acquainted with the struggles of newcomers here, as I had heard many stories from my friends and relatives, who are now settled in Canada. I started applying for jobs, and as I type this I must have crossed over 200 job applications by now and the hunt is still on.

I had invested well six years of my career in Media and Communications and the obvious remarks of ‘Why don’t you think of changing your career?’ didn’t go well with me. In the middle of my job-hunt, probably somewhere in September, I learned that Volunteer MBC is looking for volunteers to assist them in fund developments and events. I thought it’s a fantastic opportunity to get the ball rolling and do something more relevant to my skills and expertise, as I had some background in working for Non-for-profits. Fortunately, that worked in my favour like a silver lining in the storm.

Volunteering was going well, I was also learning a few skills from UofT school of continuing studies. Then all of a sudden, the dreaded winter arrived. I had never experienced a temperature that goes below 15-17 degrees ever in my life and suddenly I was put in -10 and more. Days started getting shorter and the bright sun lights started disappearing from the horizon. My networking, resume writing, cover letter writing, volunteering, and education were still on but I noticed my fatigue level had started escalating. Few job-postings that I was really clinging on to didn’t work and fatigue level rose even further.

My partner advised me if I could go and check with the doctors.

(Happy team at Peel Cares Celebration)

I went to the clinic and the doctor concluded that something is seriously wrong with me, just by looking at my pale as a ghost face. Even though my HB level turned out to be reasonably low, a part of me knew that this is beyond the physical aspect, I was unwell emotionally. Staying miles away from my loved ones, I knew I was missing my home and the warmth.

The next day, I wrote an email to an acquaintance at Volunteer MBC to accommodate me in their office at least for a few days, rather than just confining me to attend events meetings. She agreed and then I started going to their office in Brampton. Things slowly started changing and I finally found some direction, I remember how fondly I used to look forward to dressing up for my day at V-MBC, meeting people and then collectively channeling my energies for one of the major fundraising Peel Cares Celebration. I can now say with a lot of pride that I am at a much better place than where I used to be. Thank you, Volunteer MBC”

#Volunteer #VolunteerCanada #VolunteerMBC

#cmha #mentalhealthweek