The Martlet

On Nov. 6, the clocks rolled back, and students were given what they’re constantly asking for: more time. But what did you do with that extra hour? Sleep? Finish an essay? Do the dishes?

An Angus Reid poll posed this very question to Canadians: what will you do with your extra hour? Seventy-five per cent said they would either catch up on sleep, chores or errands, or spend time with friends and family. Fourteen per cent said they would exercise, while six per cent said they would work on a hobby or interest. While only three per cent said they would work more, only five per cent said they would volunteer or do some kind of community service.

Given the fast-paced nature of life that seems to limit people’s volunteer capacity, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada (BBBSC) is asking a new question: what would you do to change the world if you had one hour? Are our busy lives preventing us from making that change?

Could you make room for just one hour a week? BBBSC says that’s enough to create change.

“We’re keeping up with these unreasonable expectations, we’re keeping up with these Joneses, even though they don’t actually exist — they’re figurative,” says fourth-year sociology major Jamie Carballo. “It’s always bigger, better, faster — that’s the mindset. It’s a very cultural norm — we always want more and more.”

UVic Counselling Services Peer Helper Jordana Hutchinson says stress levels are definitely a factor.

“Most students are really stressed, and it’s totally independent — someone with a huge workload might be more at ease with their work than someone with a smaller workload,” says Hutchinson.

Carballo, who is specializing in health and aging, says that in many ways, it always comes down to money — even for the students who don’t seem to have any.

“Students are paying for degrees and a lot of people are now going to post-secondary, and not even necessarily because of the education, but because it creates an opportunity for more money and better wages — and therefore a better life,” says Carballo. “We’re just trying to get as much as we can for ourselves. It’s also just a lot of consumerism, which is nothing new — but we are buying things we can’t afford to impress others and psychologically that doesn’t make any sense.”

Carballo says that the overall tone of the campus doesn’t always help.

“At the UVic campus, there’s always a sense of exhaustion and tension for a multitude of reasons: people are going through midterms, exams, papers are due — and this is being brought to campus, everyone feels that. It’s not the most warming environment. I don’t know anyone who feels fantastic right now,” says Carballo. “The environment that we put ourselves in is much more difficult to succeed in and to keep up with.”

Many organizations that need support aren’t asking for money, they’re just asking for time like the rest of us.

“The thing with Big Brothers Big Sisters is that they aren’t asking for funds, they’re not asking for donations,” says Carballo. “Spending time with another individual or child raises self-esteem and confidence levels — things that are valuable in society but according to money, we don’t exactly see. People treat their time as money.”

Many people participate in once-a-year events, but some say that’s not enough.

“As individuals, we do want to help others and give time, but that’s not always the case — we’re treating charity as kind of a one-shot-deal such as the CIBC Run for the Cure held at UVic or even Movember; but those are one-time events and we need more than that; we need to build social relationships with our community,” says Carballo. “That would make for a better environment for us emotionally.”

“You meet people and enjoy what you’re doing,” says Hutchinson about volunteering. “You are not only doing things that you enjoy, but you are helping someone else, which can make you feel so much better and happier.”

Carballo notes that, initially, involving ourselves with volunteering may be the hardest part — but it’s something that can be overcome.

“We often think that charity is a very daunting task — it’s not an excuse to say that you don’t have time, but it’s very daunting to start out,” says Carballo. “Once a month can lead you to volunteer once a week and so on.” Hutchinson says that using services like peer helping can significantly reduce stress and improve time-management skills.

“If you learn how to study effectively, you could turn 10 hours of studying into five, and therefore you can find time to do rewarding things such as volunteering,” says Hutchinson. “Asking yourself how to manage your time is difficult, but there are people to help you with that.”