The mental health benefits of blogging

I am firmly convinced that blogging has significant mental health benefits.

In the same way that a diary years ago provided a secret, sacred place for a person to unload what was on their mind a blog can provide a similar benefit nowadays.

You never would have published your diary and it would have been kept strictly private. But you can do precisely the same thing with a blog as you can choose to publish what you have written or keep it private or restrict the blog post to the eyes of some selected individuals.

Regardless of what choice you make having a place to go every day, or as frequently as you like, to unpack your thoughts, wrestle with your challenges and problems, give vent to your emotions, and put it down on (digital) paper affords immense relief and succour from your mind’s perspective.

There are various ways to blog and once you start one you can choose how you want it to evolve and grow. For example, you may use it to keep a diary or record of your daily activities, in the same way you may have maintained a diary as a child.

Or you can use it to notice things and make observations which you can share with the world.

Or you can use it as a straightforward therapy tool to allow you unpack your mind, get clarity around what’s bothering you, and tease out the pros and cons of a topic or problem.

The choice is yours.