Dear ESC volunteers,
I hope the next lines will remind you that you are not alone. I know that many projects are now on pause, a lot of you are waiting, and I am not an exception.
My name is Anna and I am an ESC volunteer in Katowice, Poland. I have started a one-year ESC project about community organizing in May 2019. Currently, I am back in my country Ukraine, waiting for the virus situation to normalize. Some members of our team decided to come to their countries as well for some time.
Without doubts, there are hundreds of similar stories. We cannot control the world situation, however, there is something we can change to feel better. I made a small list of activities that can be helpful.
1) Search for opportunities. Well, you are already an ESC volunteer, it means that you are an active and open-minded person. You can find many opportunities for development and self- improvement even from home. For example, online courses, podcasts, webinars, trainings etc.
2) Maximize online work and be creative. We are living in the era of developed technologies, where life online has a huge value and takes our time. Use it for your project. Even if activities did not include online sphere before, there is something for sure you can invent.
3) Improve language skills. It is time to learn foreign languages, using applications, YouTube tutorials and movies or organize Skype lessons with other volunteers.
4) Launch your own project. ESC gives an opportunity to implement any your ideas. Now you have time to think which impact you want to make and plan everything.
5) Improve your CV and write your Youthpass. It is always important to update your CV and make it more attractive for employers. You can also think about competences you have received during your project and write them for.
6) Make an ESC blog. For sure, there are some pictures from your project that you can share in social media and tell your story.
7) Make a list of things which you are grateful for. Remember about simple things that make you happy, people who you love. Gratitude every day will make you think more positively.
8) Write a story or a book. Have you tried to write something exciting? Or maybe it is your dream that you postpone… Start to write and you will find inspiration.
9) Cook something from foreign cuisine. Ask your team members any recipe of the tasty dish from their counties. This is another way to discover other cultures.
10) Do sport. Trainings at home, stretching, dancing, yoga, etc. will make better not only your health, but also your mood.
11) Do not believe headlines in news and use critical thinking. Very often news portals use shocking headlines to pay our attention. Try to read article completely and check the first source of information.
And of course, do not forget to contact your ESC friends. We all need support and motivation, but most of all we need each other. We are all together-ESC community.
