This semester didn’t start at all the way I expected. Between the campus tension, the quicksand pace of classes and new roles, and the general feeling that everything is a little off, it’s been… a lot. And that’s before even factoring in the rest of the world. It’s hard not to feel like everything is burning. I’ve caught myself cycling between exhaustion and frustration, trying to keep up with it all. And I doubt I’m the only one feeling that way. 

I used to cope the classic way: doomscrolling, venting, maybe stress-baking a batch (or two) of cookies that didn’t fix anything. But the more I tried to ignore the chaos, the louder it got. At some point, I realized that sitting in my helplessness wasn’t going to help anyone, least of all me. 

So what do I do? When the world feels like it’s burning, I’ve learned the best thing to do is show up somewhere that isn’t on fire. Somewhere real, human and hopeful. For me, that’s meant leaning into service through UNCW’s Seahawks That Serve.

I still remember my first volunteer shift at the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. It was only a few weeks into the semester when I saw the opportunity posted on Instagram and signed up through GivePulse. Full honesty, my initial motivation wasn’t exactly noble – I needed to fulfill my service hours for my Honors 110 seminar, and transportation was provided. It was also my first time leaving campus since move-in, and I hadn’t really gotten to explore much yet. And what a way to get connected.

We spent our shift working in the market, greeting guests, guiding them through the aisles and loading their cars with groceries. Every talkative person’s dream, this shift gave me four hours of basically non-stop conversation – asking about people’s days, learning about their families and sharing laughs between cartloads. By the time I left, I was sweaty, tired and completely energized. 

Over the last year, showing up has become more than just a habit, but a way to cope, connect and make sense of things when so much else felt senseless. 

I’d always thought of volunteering as a way to “give back,” but the more I did it, the more I realized service gives something back to you too. 

One Friday afternoon, I found that out in a very literal, hands-on way at Willowdale Urban Farms. I spent hours hunched over a row of weeds, a speaker playing Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl,” getting completely absorbed in the work. By the end of my three-hour shift, the rain had started misting down, but I didn’t mind – we just kept on working. I had stopped checking the time, fully caught up in the rhythm of digging, pulling and planting.

That’s when I discovered something unexpected: I really like dirt. Like, really like dirt. I love pulling weeds, planting things, digging holes. Basically any activity that leaves my nails ruined and my brain quiet. There’s something about being flat-out in the soil, knees and all, that resets me. It’s the most hands-on therapy I’ve ever had, and it’s free! Turns out, dirt is good for you.

When I’m outside working, time slips a little. The endless internal monologue quiets down, replaced by the simple rhythm of doing something tangible. Psychologists call it a “flow” state, that moment when your mind finally shuts up and your body takes over. You’re not thinking about everything that’s wrong; you’re too busy doing something right in front of you. Research backs this up: volunteering and hands-on service can help lower stress and boost your mood. 

When I read an article about volunteers in Kerrville, Texas, after the devastating floods, they described the work as providing “a buffer against hopelessness.”

Seeing how serving others could give people hope resonated with me deeply and made me understand why volunteering has become such a grounding force in my own life. A way to find stillness in motion. When everything feels too big to manage, service brings it back into human scale. The problems in the world – poverty, climate change, inequality – can feel impossible to touch, but the act of serving puts the “big stuff” into an immediate, conquerable context. It reminds me that even the biggest issues are made up of small, solvable moments.

It’s also taught me that learning doesn’t only happen in classrooms. Service is its own kind of education – one that doesn’t require textbooks or lectures, just presence and willingness. Through these experiences, I’ve learned more about empathy, societal systems and collaboration than I ever could from just a slideshow. Every time I show up, I’m reminded that growth often starts in the mess.

But most importantly, I’ve come to see that choosing to serve is its own form of protest. Not the kind that involves signs or megaphones (though those matter too), but the everyday kind. The kind that says: I refuse to give up. I refuse to be numb. I still care. 

In a world that profits off burnout and apathy, taking time to help someone else is one of the most rebellious things you can do. 

So, if you’re reading this and the semester feels heavier than you expected, maybe it’s time to step outside yourself a little. Volunteer. Get involved and meet people. Touch grass (literally or metaphorically). The world might still be a dumpster fire, but serving others is one small way I’ve found to hold a hose. And that’s enough to keep me going.

For more information on how you can get involved, visit UNCW Serve or explore opportunities on GivePulse.