The Volunteering Addiction I Can’t Shake (What about you?)

First published 1 June 2026

It’s National Volunteers Week, which feels like a good time to confess something:

I have a problem.

For three decades, I’ve been voluntarily giving away my time and expertise to teenagers, a retreat centre, and professional organisations (and I’m sure there will be more besides those!). I genuinely can’t help myself.

A few years back, someone asked me why I’d bother volunteering.  “Surely,” they said, “you should be out making money?  What’s the actual benefit to you?”

I remember being genuinely puzzled by the question. 

Not because it was rude – it wasn’t – but because they couldn’t see what was so obvious to me.  The benefit wasn’t financial.  It was everything else.

The Unexpected Riches

Working with teenagers for three decades has taught me to think differently than I ever did managing an ever changing role in Finance and IT.

Different questions.

Different solutions.

Different challenges.

A different part of my brain lighting up.

More recently, serving as a trustee for a retreat house (the Coach House Kilmuir Trust if you are interested, it’s available to book now) and with the Health Kinesiology UK team (I launched the new website this week – and so far it’s still working… phew!) has given me something I genuinely can’t buy: a sense of purpose that seeps into my bones.  And a deep sense of knowing that I am helping others – even if it’s in a small way or in a way they may never be aware of (it’s not about the recognition after all!)And yes, okay, I do too much.  I’m aware.  I’m working on it (kind of).  But here’s the thing – I wouldn’t undo a single hour.

What Volunteering Actually Does

From a kinesiology perspective, volunteering activates something profound in your energy system.

The Heart meridian, which governs not just love but genuine service and connection, absolutely thrives when we give our time selflessly.  It’s like providing nourishment directly to your emotional intelligence.

Your Liver meridian, the meridian of vision and moving forward, gets activated in a completely different way when you’re contributing to something bigger than yourself.  It creates momentum that spills into every other area of your life.

Even your solar plexus chakra, your centre of personal power, strengthens through contribution.  When you use your expertise and knowledge to genuinely help others, you reinforce your own sense of competence and belonging.

You literally become more aligned when you’re serving.

Your Turn

So for National Volunteers Week, I’m gently prodding you (slightly stronger than my usual invitation/challenge): what organisation could benefit from your time?  Your skills?  Your perspective?

It doesn’t need to be a huge commitment.  An hour a week.  A few hours a month.  Whatever feels sustainable and true to you.

Find an organisation doing work that matters to you.  Offer your time and expertise.  Let your energy system remind you what it feels like to contribute to something beyond yourself.

Trust me – the real riches aren’t the ones that land in a bank account.

Still volunteering (send help),

Angela.

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If you’re unsure where to start, search “volunteer opportunities” plus your local area, or ask me – I probably know someone doing something brilliant.

And if you are local to me – we are looking for volunteers to join the Unit Management Team for my Sea Cadet unit, it’s only a few hours a month but it will make a big difference in the lives of a group of young people.  And as we have just won the Most Improved Sea Cadet unit in the UK this year, we now have standards to uphold – so seriously – please help!