Doing Something For Others
Designed by Bearmore
Inspired by Australian Red CrossWhen life feels a bit directionless, try something for someone else.
Feel part of something bigger than yourself. A half-day Burst for a volunteering shift: get clear on why you are there, give a couple of hours to others, then sit with anything it stirred up. Just over two hours. For anyone who volunteers.
The runsheet
One clear intention
Intention settingBefore the shift, take a few quiet minutes to name why you are showing up. It doesn’t have to be a grand mission, just the honest reason: to be useful, to get out of your own head, to learn the work.
10 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing intention setting before formal volunteering
This can work well because intention setting may put you in a more thoughtful frame of mind before an activity centred on contribution and care.
Volunteer
Formal volunteeringThe core of the block: a real volunteering shift, perhaps driving someone to an appointment, visiting an older person, or working a shop. Red Cross gives induction and training, so day one is not on you alone.
90 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing formal volunteering before journaling
These go especially well together because writing can help keep the experience vivid and make it easier to hold onto what it meant.
Journal after the volunteering
JournalingOnce the shift ends, take fifteen minutes to write so you can process it: what you noticed, who you met, what felt harder or better than expected. Volunteers often talk of purpose and unexpected connection.
15 min activityTime well spent.
2h 15m spent doing something good for yourself.
The breakdown
Burst evaluation
Wellbeing focus
About this Burst
Australian Red Cross is a humanitarian and community services charity, part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, founded in 1914. It runs emergency response, aged care and visiting programmes, migration support and retail shops, with more than 17,000 members and volunteers. Roles range from emergency support to friendly visiting to driving people to appointments, with induction and training, and commitments from an hour a week to regular shifts.