Blogging is so much more than sitting down at your computer and typing out words.
In fact, a 2009 study by Hsiu-Chia Ko at the Chaoyang University of Technology showed that the self-disclosure of bloggers significantly enhances their perception of social bonding which, in turn, improves their overall well-being.
Apparently, as bloggers share their inner thoughts and moods with others through writing, they gain a greater sense of support which can improve overall life satisfaction.
Are you interested in finding out more? Keep reading to learn how blogging can boost your self-esteem:
1. You Can Connect With Like-Minded People
No matter what you blog about, there are many others who write about the same topic. Bloggers will seek out other bloggers with the same interests, lifestyles and points of view.
You can reach out to bloggers from all over the world by commenting on their posts, offering to guest post on their blog and through Facebook pages and groups.
While these friendships typically remain in the virtual sphere, it can be a huge confidence boost to know that someone understands you and wants to connect with you.
2. You Can Release Stress By Voicing Your Opinion
Keep in mind that a blog is not the place to air out dirty laundry about those who have wronged you in life but, by addressing serious topics that tend to bother you, you can get some weight off your shoulders and relieve some stress.
Sometimes putting your opinions out in the world can help get them off your mind and allow you to focus on happier aspects of your life.
Although journaling can certainly help with this as well, there’s something satisfying about receiving like-minded feedback from those that agree with you.
(Just be prepared to face the opinions of those that don’t agree with you!)
3. You Can Help Other People
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: We writers at CyberParent aren’t here just to post words onto a blog. We carefully choose topics that we think are going to help parents around the globe!
Professional blog writers know that the key to a good blog post is blending storytelling with a solution to the reader’s problem. Chronicling your journey and the steps you took to resolve an issue will help others who are facing the same situation.
Personally, my heart swells when I get comments on a post from readers thanking me for sharing my advice and how much it helped them!
Nothing will boost your self-esteem more than knowing that your words helped to change another person’s life!
4. You Can Track Your Personal Growth
As a writer, I’ve looked back on old content I had written and immediately cringed recognized just how far I’ve come in my writing skills.
Even if you’re not looking to become a professional writer, simply telling your stories through a blog can help you witness your personal growth.
Your opinions, interests and issues change over time and you can always look back at what you’ve written to see how far you’ve come.
5. You Can Sort Out Your Thoughts and Beliefs
Do you ever get muddled in your own thoughts or have trouble expressing exactly how you feel?
Another way blogging can boost your self-esteem is by allowing you to develop and discover your personal voice. This helps you not only work through your thoughts and feelings but also help you become comfortable with who you are.
When I started blogging, I really only identified as a mom. As I kept writing, however, I came to understand that I am a successful single mom who has overcome dealing with a narcissist and has provided a wonderful life for my daughter.
I was also able to sort through a lot of feelings I had throughout that journey, which was definitely the boost my sense of confidence needed!
6. You Can Become More Comfortable With Your Body
I’ll be honest, I’m not a blogger that posts a lot of pictures of myself. However, as a freelance writer, I had to come to terms with placing headshots on my website and social media profiles.
While not all bloggers have to post pictures of themselves but taking and editing photos of yourself will help you come to terms with the fact that your appearance is not as bad as you perceive it to be.
If you’re still uncomfortable with posting pictures of yourself, take a look at other women who run lifestyle blogs. They post pictures of themselves all the time and I can guarantee you they had to get over their body issues too!
7. You Can Feel Accomplished
Having a blog takes more than just writing posts. You need to think about design, layout and format in a way that will appeal to your readers.
Sure, you may not be looking to drive traffic to your blog and make money, but you still want people to read your stuff.
And when people do read your stuff, you want to keep giving it to them. Therefore, you’ll probably end up blogging on a regular basis.
The payoff? You can look at your blog and relish in what you’ve created! Making and running a blog is an accomplishment and one that will certainly give your self-esteem a well-needed boost!
8. You Can Discover a New Career Path
I’m sure we’ve all been stuck in soul-sucking jobs that we forced ourselves to do because we needed the money.
However, there are so many people around the world making money from their blogs – and you can too!
It takes time to build up a blog and readership to the point of making a steady income, but blogging for pleasure is the first step in getting there.
Who knows? What you write about could become so popular that your blog takes off and you find yourself in a position where you can start placing ads, promoting affiliate products or even creating eBooks or courses based on your experiences.
The possibilities are endless!
How to Start a Blog
Now that you know how blogging can boost your self-esteem, it’s time to get started on creating a blog!
The process is super simple:
- Sign up for a free blog account. If you’re just blogging as a hobby, you can definitely get away with a free account. Check out sites such as WordPress or Wix to get started.
- Choose a theme. Many free sites will give you free themes to choose from or you can find your own on sites such as AThemes.
- Choose what you want to write about. It’s your blog, so you can write about anything but keeping it to a handful of topics will help you stay focused!
- Get writing! That’s it! Start writing!
For a more detailed guide to starting a blog, you can check out my post here.
Give Your Self-Esteem a Boost!
Blogging is such a simple thing you can do to boost your self-esteem and confidence in so many ways!
Are you already a blogger? Do you find it helps with your self-esteem? Let us know how in the comments!
