Today provided me with a good example of how the benefits of stepping outside of my comfort zone can outweigh the negatives (i.e. anxiety). It was my first day volunteering for DKMS, and although I was extremely nervous before and during the event, it was great to be part of a dedicated team supporting the fight against blood cancer and blood disorders. We registered potential stem cell donors and raised a lot of money for the charity.

Each year, over 2,000 people in the UK need a blood stem cell transplant; however, just 7% of the eligible population are on the register. DKMS have signed up 1 million UK donors, with the global figure standing at 12 million. Each one represents a potential life-saver for someone in need, with 120,000 second chances at life already provided.

Raising awareness is part of the mission. Many of the people who I spoke to yesterday had almost no knowledge of the charity or the donor process, so it was important to have these conversations. Maybe some will register at a later date or encourage their friends to do so. This made the excruciating pain of talking to strangers more than worthwhile!

I even walked around the building handing out information booklets to anyone in sight. This would normally be a nightmare scenario for me, but I was willing to make myself feel deeply uncomfortable for the cause.

People like me have to carefully select which activities to take part in, as we have high levels of anxiety and a limited social battery. When it could save people’s lives, though, the decision becomes much easier.