Are you one of the 450 million people who are suffering from mental illness? Whether you are in the early symptoms stage or have been coping with it for a while, the writing therapy is a common ground.
While having a pen and notebook is the easiest way to do so, you might not be confident with your handwriting. Or, writing for yourself is not a strong enough purpose for you. So what now?
Did you know that blogging can be a solution? Read on to learn how you can start a mental health blog of your own and how it’ll benefit you.
Contents
Blogging Is Like Journaling
Source: Mauricio Piña
When it comes to mental health, you’re well aware that it’s not easy to talk about your issues with people. Either they’ll dismiss them, don’t give the effort to listen to you, or don’t have the time to empathize with you. However, keeping it all in and not expressing yourself can worsen your current situation.
So writing your thoughts out in a journal is very helpful to relieve all that stress. Blogging has the same concept as journaling. But, you’ll be writing for the world to see, and chances are, you’ll be helping others that are going through similar situations as well.
A blog can be a safe place for you to express yourself freely, let go of all emotions, and reach out for help. If you’re worried about malicious comments, schoolmates and family members finding out, or judgment of others, you can blog anonymously.
How to Start a Blog
Source: Top Level Affiliate
Before you start panicking on how you can make a blog, take a deep breath. It isn’t as complicated as you might think. Simply follow the steps below, and you’ll launch a fully functioning blog in no time!
- Select a niche – you might think that mental health is already a niche, but as you may know, the topic itself has many branches. Stick to a subtopic that is close to home, whether it’ll be depression and anxiety, family issues, eating disorders, etc.
- Get web hosting – since there’s a list of hosting providers to choose from, make sure that the plans offered aligns with your budget and needs. You don’t have to start big. Going for the most basic plan is enough to build your blog.
- Pick a platform – WordPress is the most recommended content management system as it’s beginner-friendly. But if you’re in for a challenge, Drupal or Joomla is also worth the try.
- Choose a domain name – you can check if the domain name of your choice is available at hostinger.com, and don’t forget to register it as well.
- Customize your website – this part can be fun and therapeutic at the same time as you’ll be playing with designs and colors while building your blog.
- Start writing – whether it’s a blog post a day or three posts a week, do it at your own pace. Don’t be burdened or stressed by it, as writing can be healing.
Blogging Raises Mental Health Awareness
Source: Spark Society
When people come across your blog posts, you will indirectly help spread awareness on mental health issues. People can share the links of your pages to their social media accounts or group chats with a click of a button.
Your stories and experiences will contribute to conversations and discussions on the topic. No matter how small or big, the impact is, you will still be helping in peeling away the stigma surrounding mental health and our society.
Just like Anxiety Sisters, Depression Warrior, and Eating Disorder Hope, you can be a mental health ambassador through your blog.
You Can Build a Community
Source: Cengage Blog
Having a mental health blog can attract people who can relate to your situations and those who want to help. Since the world is your audience, you will find strangers who care and are empathetic with mental health issues.
Others might comment on their experiences on your posts as well. Eventually, your blog can be a platform for a whole new community to share and support one another.
You will not only heal yourself, but you will also help people with mental illness to cope and heal themselves. This can also return the self-esteem that you once lost.
You Can Improve Your Skills
Source: runtastic
Another bonus of starting a blog is that you will automatically enhance your writing skills and ignite the drive to help others. Your new skill-set can lead you to better opportunities and job offerings, changing your life for the better.
You can turn into a freelance writer for magazines or other blogs. Publishing your own book, physically or digitally, can also be a goal. Local schools and offices might invite you to be a keynote speaker for mental health day as well. The possibilities are endless!
Conclusion
Blogging is both a wonderful tool to express yourself, improve your writing skills, and earn a little bit of money on the side. If you’re lucky and create great content consistently, you might even be able to make it a full-time job. That can be a great thing to focus on if you wish to improve on your mental health – which we covered in this article. We hope, that after reading this you’ll be able to find something you’re passionate about and let it take you on a journey of self-improvement. Good luck!
