Paddling Through Burnout: A Survival Guide for Club Volunteers
It can be a lot, can't it? I mean everything. Work, hobbies, side hustles, relationships, friends, family; it can just be really full on sometimes. These last two years, I’ve been flat out working full-time at Member Jungle, writing my debut novel, which, fingers crossed, will be getting published in one form or another in the next 18 months or so, trying to maintain friendships and relationships with family members, and trying to have some semblance of a dating life. All that is to say, I am so tired.
I really needed a proper break, just to get away from it all and reset everything. So, I took a week off work, grabbed my kayak and a few friends, and we headed off for a four-day paddling trip. Which, if I’m being honest, was a nerve-racking decision after how sideways our last trip went: How I Nearly Died On A Poorly Planned Kayaking Trip.
Why Am I Telling You This?
If you’re still reading this, you’re probably wondering why I am banging on about this trip.
Because I know I'm not the only one feeling tired, if you are reading this, there is a very good chance you are a volunteer committee member. You are already juggling your job, family, friends, and hobbies. On top of all that, you are dedicating your precious free time to running a club or association.
It is exhausting, but it’s also incredibly important.
When life gets overwhelming, our hobbies and communities are what keep us sane. My escape was a kayak and a river. For hundreds of your members, their escape is your club; it is their vital third space. Whether you run a local football club, a 4WD group, or an art society, your organisation is the sanctuary where people go to disconnect from their stress, reset, and just enjoy their passion with like-minded people.
By stepping up to run the committee, you are the one keeping that sanctuary alive. What you do genuinely matters. However, you can’t set yourself on fire to keep others warm. You need to make sure you take some time and look after yourself; otherwise, you are going to burn out, and your organisation will suffer for it.
If your organisation is a hobby club of some sort, it is quite likely that all-important space where your members can go to have a good break from it all. I mean, maybe some people’s happy place is the medical association they are a member of, but it does seem less likely.
My happy place is, apparently, being wet, sore, tired, and dirty in a lump of plastic in the middle of nowhere. Whatever your happy place is, make sure you make time to go there and recharge, because what you do matters, and it’s important that you are able to do it without burning yourself out.
Across The Myall Lakes
Our trip was four days and three nights paddling across the Myall Lakes down to Tea Gardens. I won’t bore you with the play-by-play. Instead, I’ll just give you the highlights.
Day One
Waking up at 4:15 AM in order to make it to the launch site in good time was rough, but the day was well worth it. It was 16km of paddling through farmlands, paperbark forests, and eventually through more mountainous terrain. We spent that night camped at the river mouth, surrounded by thick trees, bats, and water alive with fish, eels, and New Holland prawns with their creepily long arms.
Seriously, it looks like it could ring your doorbell from a different postcode. It looks like it could pick your pocket from across the room. It looks like it would be good on the violin, like a regular-sized one. It looks like... you know what, I’m going to stop cyberbullying this little weirdo.
- The highlight of day one was watching the sunset as we cooked dinner in camp, which, for the only night that week, was not dehydrated hiking meals.
- The lowlight of the day was passing a sign on a riverbank that was simply spray-painted on a piece of rusty Colorbond that read, “No campin’, no stoppin’, no nothin’.” I’ll admit that sign made me think of the horror movie Wrong Turn. However, I did enjoy their dogged use of the elision apostrophe, proving once and for all that being an angry cannibal is no excuse for poor grammar.
Day Two
Day two was the day we needed to cross the bulk of the lake. If the wind was up, it would have meant spending hours upon hours skirting around the edge. Unlike the day before or after, day two was perfectly still, so we were able to cut basically straight across the middle, saving us hours.
- The highlight of day two was getting to camp very early and having enough time and energy to make running repairs on the kayaks during a very relaxed afternoon.
Yes, that is my friend duct-taping tent pegs to his kayak to fix a tilting rudder, and yeah, it almost worked.
- The lowlight of day two was a fish taking my bait so hard it pulled my fishing rod clean out of the kayak and into the water. Because there was no tension to set the hook, all we got was a wet fishing rod and no fish.
Day Three
Day three was a long day with lots of headwinds, but it ultimately turned into my favourite day as we passed through dense mangrove forests, beautiful crystal-clear creeks, and massive pine forests.
- The highlight of day three was weirdly realising that our chosen campsite for the night wasn’t going to work, so we had to hit the water closer to sunset than ideal in order to find a place to stay. It made it feel like a real adventure.
- The lowlight of day three was my friend's new inflatable kayak, which he bought for the trip, springing a slow leak. He needed to pull over a few times a day to add more air so he wouldn’t pull a Titanic on us.
Day Four
Day four was a relatively easy cruise down the wide parts of the river, and with the tide and current on our side, we reached civilisation with no effort.
- The highlight of day four was watching my friend with the increasing tower of river garbage he had found and strapped to his kayak.
All the pictures he took from the cockpit that day heavily featured the leaning tower of trash.
- The lowlight of that day was honestly getting reception on my phone again after four days of bliss.
Ultimately, it was four days of burning shoulders, (weirdly) aching thumbs, crap food, freezing nights, and basically being constantly wet and covered in dirt, and it was amazing. Being away from it all, watching the ever-changing landscape as we made our way through larger waterways and closer to the coast. It was perfect. t.
Where To From Here?
Look, I don’t really have a firm next step for you here, besides this: your organisation is important, and so is your happiness. Take some time to make sure both are well looked after.
If you do want to know how you can make running your organisation easier and quicker, do check out the articles below: