Stressed out? Try blogging.
Feeling stressed? Maybe it’s time to start a blog. Two recent articles expound upon the benefits of blogging for your mental health. One article from CNN and another from ABC in Australia cite scientific and anecdotal evidence showing how blogging can bring you back from the brink of death, (in the case of one suicidal woman) and how you can create a stronger circle of friends, simply by writing about your daily experiences on the internet.
While doctors say that blogging should never replace actual psychotherapy, some say that blogging can work well with an established therapy program. It can create a strong social support system, helping you gather a group of people who really care about you.
Has blogging saved your sanity? Traveling is stressful and it’s a great help when you know that your friends and family are behind you. Sometimes your social network can push you along, even when you feel like giving up.
Share your thoughts about blogging and mental health with other travelers in the TravelPod forums.
Louise Brown
TravelPod Community Manager
May 10, 2008 at 7:28 pm
I agree.
We spent a year bicycling around the USA and Mexico with our children and I really enjoyed sitting down with my journal each evening to write about our day - it was a great way to reflect about ALL the things that happened, not only the bad ones.
But the best part of having that journal on-line was the fact that I knew I had a whole circle of people all over the nation who would be able to help me if I needed help. And after about 10 months, the day came when I needed to cash in on that. That day, I found out my mother was dying and I needed to fly back to Idaho immediately - but I needed a place to stash my bike. I simply posted on-line that I was flying out and needed a place in Columbus to stash my bike and gear for a while - within hours I had TWENTY people offer their garages!!! I can’t even tell you how much peace of mind it gave me to know there was that whole great big network of people out there willing and able to step up to the plate at any moment.
Now we are getting ready to take off again - this time we’ll ride our bikes from Alaska to Argentina with our (now) ten-year-old boys. And you can bet I’ll be blogging about it all the way!! You can read about our journey at http://www.familyonbikes.org
May 13, 2008 at 9:27 am
That’s really awesome, have a great trip. It’s always a great feeling to be able to count on the kindness of strangers isn’t it? Being connected with your blog helps immensely when you’re in a jam like that.
If you’re interested in starting a blog, TravelPod is a great place to learn how to write and upload your photos and MP3s. There’s even a mailing list feature, so you can import all your emails and send your updates to your family and friends.
Louise Brown
TravelPod Community Manager