Be of Service
For many people, one of the hardest things to navigate during withdrawal can be a sense of being cut off. Some people feel distanced from their usual contacts, who may not understand what they're going through. Others put their work on hold to focus on healing, and in the process discover that they feel cut off from their own gifts and potential as well. One way to reconnect with others, with the world, and with your own inner purpose may be to find an opportunity, however small, to be of service to others.
There are endless possibilities for being of service, some formal and some completely personal and self-directed. If you feel you could benefit from structure and an interactive routine that gets you out of the house, you might search for volunteer opportunities in your area, whether it’s reading to children at a shelter, planting trees, serving meals, being an usher, creating care packages, or another area of interest. If leaving the house and being around people isn’t so easy for you right now, try looking up “virtual volunteering”—you’ll find many ways that people contribute from home by doing computer work, knitting or crafting, writing personal letters, calling someone on the phone, and more.
If “volunteering” feels like too much of a commitment right now, consider simply reaching out informally, when you’re up to it, to others who are having a difficult time, whether they be people who are also going through withdrawal or a friend or family member who isn’t feeling well. Knowing that you make a difference, that you have value, that you matter to others, can be a powerful healer, and many have found it to be a saving grace in bringing meaning to their withdrawal experience.
Service to others
Be of Service
For many people, one of the hardest things to navigate during withdrawal can be a sense of being cut off. Some people feel distanced from their usual contacts, who may not understand what they're going through. Others put their work on hold to focus on healing, and in the process discover that they feel cut off from their own gifts and potential as well. One way to reconnect with others, with the world, and with your own inner purpose may be to find an opportunity, however small, to be of service to others.
There are endless possibilities for being of service, some formal and some completely personal and self-directed. If you feel you could benefit from structure and an interactive routine that gets you out of the house, you might search for volunteer opportunities in your area, whether it’s reading to children at a shelter, planting trees, serving meals, being an usher, creating care packages, or another area of interest. If leaving the house and being around people isn’t so easy for you right now, try looking up “virtual volunteering”—you’ll find many ways that people contribute from home by doing computer work, knitting or crafting, writing personal letters, calling someone on the phone, and more.
If “volunteering” feels like too much of a commitment right now, consider simply reaching out informally, when you’re up to it, to others who are having a difficult time, whether they be people who are also going through withdrawal or a friend or family member who isn’t feeling well. Knowing that you make a difference, that you have value, that you matter to others, can be a powerful healer, and many have found it to be a saving grace in bringing meaning to their withdrawal experience.