Volunteer Series: Far From Fearless?

This new series on Fearless volunteers gives writers, artists and partner organisations an opportunity to share why they choose to work with us. Most often, we know people want to be part of Fearless to pay forward support that made all the difference to them during a time of mental health challenge. The knowledge that a simple act of sharing powerfully breaks down the stigma positioning people in dangerous isolation and reducing our connections to one another is a beautiful, essential thing.

The increase in progressive social enterprises like Fearless Femme – businesses prioritising social change instead of profit – is expanding volunteering opportunities so people can increasingly align values, passions and work. So what do we know for sure about volunteering? Well, we know volunteering in a sector you want to work in puts important experience on CVs and builds confidence with entering the workforce as a young person or a returner. We also know through scientific research that altruism actually increases happiness, so volunteering with the specific aim of helping others benefits our own wellbeing too. As the UK’s Mental Health Foundation charity so aptly puts it, ‘doing good does you good’.

One of our volunteer writers, the wonderful Gurpreet Sihat, who’s given us gems such as the brilliant and affirming, Choose Happy, Choose You, shares here what working with Fearless has meant to her journey of self-actualisation and healing… 

“From the second the doctor suggested I may be suffering from a mental illness, shame crept in and refused to leave. My feelings were shameful. Taking medication was shameful. Talking about it was shameful. I was forced into the darkest part of my thoughts. I was nothing more than a burden. Everyone would be better off without me. I was scared all the time and filled with anger whenever there was a spare pocket of air. I was a failure. Useless. A waste of space.

“My feelings were shameful. Taking medication was shameful. Talking about it was shameful. I was forced into the darkest part of my thoughts.”

Somehow, the recluse I had become was coaxed into going on a week-long holiday to Belgium with a friend. For the first time in years, I felt free. Belgium was the release that I needed. The place that I realised I may not be as burdensome and useless as I thought. Perhaps I was loved. Wanted. I wrote about this newfound feeling in a Facebook post I assumed everyone would scroll past and ignore.

Seconds after hitting ‘post’, my phone went off. A friend in Scotland had recently become involved with a new magazine tackling mental health issues. This post was exactly what they were looking for. Would I be open to submitting it? Belgium had filled me with enough courage to reply ‘yes’. By the time I returned to London, there was an e-mail waiting for me. “WOW your piece is so beautiful,” it read. “We would LOVE to publish it.”

In my head, the publication was a one off. I wouldn’t hear from them again or talk about the dark thoughts that haunted me. Now I had returned from Belgium, that shame would return. I was wrong. Barely two months later, I submitted another piece. And then another...

“I’m far from fearless, but it’s easier now to talk about the things that brought me so much shame less than a year ago.”

I’m far from fearless, but it’s easier now to talk about the things that brought me so much shame less than a year ago. It still creeps in every once in a while, but it’s not strong enough to consume me. Writing for them, talking to their team, reading submissions from others, it’s all helped pave a road in my head. A road to healing. A road without shame or judgement, covered instead with love and friendship, kindness and understanding, and a helping hand if you need it. I owe a lot to Fearless Femme, and it’s a privilege to be part of their journey to help others like me.”