Do you ever question your thoughts? 

Have you ever not done something you had wanted to for fear of what other people might think of you? Be it joining a new club or sport, or setting up a blog or getting a new haircut even!?

Have you ever not gone somewhere because you didn’t want to bump into someone or potentially have a particular conversation? Or because you think you look awful!?

Have you ever stayed awake at night looking up at the ceiling, the night before work or an interview or some event you’re dreading, worrying about and playing out a worst-case scenario that never arises?

Have you ever been so worried about something that you cannot enjoy it immerse yourself in other aspects of your day to day life?

Have you ever felt unhappy with your current position in life or work or what you’re doing at present and spent time worrying about what you’d say when people ask you what you’re up to these days? (TIP: they don’t actually care anyway)

In most of these situations, your thoughts are affecting your feelings and in turn your behaviours. Inevitably then, it has a negative outcome. Today, I’m going to write about something situations which have arisen both in my life and those of people close to me recently and try to show how QUESTIONING YOUR THOUGHTS can make a situation more MANAGEABLE.

As I write, the very issue that I’ll be discussing today, is something I’m currently dealing with. Anxiety, fuelled by worrying and catastrophising, essentially over-thinking. However, the anxieties I currently feel, aren’t affecting me quite as strongly as they would have in the past, for the reasons I’m going to outline and because if the suggestions I’m going to make.

I’m always conscious when writing like this, that I’m not a mental health professional, but what I attempt to offer is any knowledge I have, from an exploration of my own experiences and from reading and listening and discussion with those I’m close to. I think sometimes people enjoy reading something they can relate to from somebody who can empathise with them 

What I’m writing about today is THOUGHTS and ANXIETY. From what I can see, anxiety comes from our thoughts. Like myself, some of you may have a tendency to ‘over-think’ ‘dwell on things’ or may have had to put up with people telling you to stop living inside your head or that you’re ‘too much of a worrier’, as though it’s a choice you’ve happily made!

When you think about. What IS anxiety? It’s a fear. A fear of something. We think, day in day out, non-stop, so we night as well make sure those thoughts are good ones! In the last piece I wrote I spoke about breathing and using mindfulness as a way to calm or even stop our thoughts momentarily, to give you a piece of mind. 

Well, another thing we can do is to QUESTION OUR THOUGHTS…’take out thoughts to court’ as I’ve heard it put recently. OUR THOUGHTS ARE NOT DEFINITIVE…THEY ARE NOT FACT. Our thoughts are simply how we are processing a situation or event or occurrence. What we THINK about this situation, in turn affects our EMOTIONS or feelings, our BEHAVIOURS or actions and ultimately our thoughts can determine the outcome of such situations or events.

A few weeks ago, I discussed this idea of ‘questioning your thoughts, with a group of 2nd year students in Wellbeing class, a new and welcome addition to the Junior Cycle course. One of them asked ‘but you can’t really change your thoughts can you? They’re just there.’ I used to think the same, but a couple of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) sessions set me straight.

Last week, I had to go to the doctor. There was something I was concerned about. Of course, before I went, I stupidly Googled what was wrong! So I entered the doctor’s room, already panicked. Despite his reassurances, diagnosis and prescription, I still left feeling extremely anxious. My thoughts  were basically ‘what if the doctor has missed something? What if the internet was right!?’ My feelings were then one of concern, worry and panic. I was catastrophising. My action was then, of course, to look online again. The outcome of which was a day of isolation and anxiety. But then I remembered… CBT. Question your thoughts. My new thought was ‘the doctor is a trained professional, with years of experience and I’d he was concerned he would have stated it.’ My new feeling was one of safety and trust. I was no longer reading online, but instead relaxing and carrying on with my day. The outcome was the ability to function and not to stare blankly into space all day!

A lot of people get social anxiety based on thoughts about what they believe is going to happen. 

Recently, I was invited to my friend’s girlfriend’s housewarming party in Dublin. All week, I honestly dreaded it. I was thinking about how I’d have to converse with a load of new people. I’m fine in many situations other people would feel anxious in. Like talking to a large crowd or writing this kind of thing, but put me in a one on one conversation with somebody I don’t really know or half know and I can freeze, or worse, find myself talking nonsensical gibberish. Since I stopped drinking, I’ve been at far less of such events, and the thought of going there filled me with unnecessary dread. My thought was’ I’m going to freeze or have nothing to say to people. My feeling was worry that people would think I’m weird or odd! I then acted by worrying about and trying to think of excuses not to go. The outcome was that I was very nervous but the party was far different than I had envisaged and I ended up having a very enjoyable time. 

My thoughts should have been there’ll be people I know and I can chat to them. This would have eased my feelings and the outcome would have been the exact same anyway. 

One more example. My girlfriend qualified as a nurse in the last year. Occasionally, she gets anxious going into work, focusing on things that could go wrong and often about how other people view her in there. We try to discuss the basis for that thought. Where is the evidence to support it? Have you made mistakes before? Has anybody ever been critical of you or have there been any suggestions of that? No. By focusing in the negative thought, it can lead her to feel anxious and overwhelmed. By focusing on the facts or evidence, it can make her feel more at ease. 

We must look for evidence to support our thoughts.  There’s no evidence to suggest the doctor was wrong or that I’d have a terrible night at that social gathering or that my girlfriend would make a mistake in her job. There’s no evidence either to suggest that when people leave me voicemails, it’s going to be bad news, but I still haven’t listened to them in four years! I can’t promise I’ll change that, but for everything else I’ll continue to QUESTION my THOUGHTS and seek evidence for me thinking. There are so many examples of situations where simply examining your thoughts can be of benefit. It can change your emotions, behaviours and your life in general. Write a list of some of these negative thoughts you’ve been having. How have they affected your emotions or moods? How did they affect your behaviours or actions? What was the outcome? Now look again at the thought. What was the situation? Could you have thought differently? We think countless thoughts every day. We may as well make the most of them!

What are you doing at this very moment in time? It’s something we do every second of every day, but we sometimes take for granted.You are breathing. Chances are you’ve taken your attention towards your breath since you read the above and I’d bet that’s the first time you’ve done so in a while. We take our breathing for granted. The one thing that gives us life and grounds us in the present moment, the here and now. A second thing we take for granted is just how difficult it is to stop thinking. It’s almost impossible. Our minds race, day in and day out, from one thought to another and if we don’t stop to observe them and maybe challenge them every so often, they can get out of control. Most of your thoughts focus on the past, which we cannot change, and the future, which is not yet here. Mindfulness combines both of the above. It focuses on your breath on the here and now, thereby grounding you, allowing you to take stock of your thoughts and emotions and to get some much needed calm, clarity and headspace.The first time I heard about mindfulness was during my teacher training one weekday evening sitting at the back of a lecture hall in DCU. Tired, bored and cynical, I rolled my eyes as the lady at the top suggested mindfulness as a way to relieve the stresses of the job. So I understand why so many people immediately scoff at the idea, as ‘some kind of weird hippy stuff’. ‘Ah I’m not really into that kind of thing,’ you often hear when you suggest it. The reality, however, as I discovered that day, is it doesn’t entail heading to a temple on the top of a mountain, closing your eyes and humming with your legs crossed uncomfortably and your index fingers touching your thumbs. No, mindfulness, is simply that…being mindful. Focusing on your breath, in the present moment, here and now. I could get a lot deeper into how it came about but essentially the Buddha found that in life we continuously crave. If we feel bad about something, we crave to feel better. If we feel good about something, we crave more of it. Our thoughts are often based around these cravings. That’s highly simplified, but there’s much reading to be done on it. When you practice mindfulness, for a few minutes, you can step away from negative or stressful thoughts, relieve anxiety and realise that in the here and now, as you are presently, you are OK.  Mindfulness can be done anywhere, anytime. In the car, before you set off, in your favourite chair at home, in your bed before you get up or before sleep or at work on your break! All you need is yourself, a comfortable seated position and your breath, which is always there. In fact , right now, focus in your breathing. Observe it going in and out. You are now being mindful. 
Personally, the benefits for me have been huge. I find a marked difference between how I feel in times when I continuously meditate and times when I neglect it. I feel calm, focused, a clarity of mind and energised. My mind races less, I’m far less anxious and I don’t feel like my thoughts are all jumbled. I also sleep like a baby, which anybody who knows me will agree with! There are so many distractions nowadays, our brains are constantly wired to some kind of technology, and mindfulness meditation allows you to move back within your own body and mind so to speak!So let’s give it a try right now…Set aside five or ten minutes. (That’s all!)Sit upright on a chair or on the ground. But BE COMFORTABLE!Close your eyes and simply follow the sensation of your breathing as you inhale through your nostrils and out through your mouth. Observe this for a while.As thoughts arise (which they will), acknowledge their presence, but don’t dwell. Just push them away and get back to the breath.Bring your attention now to your senses…what you feel and hear especially. Notice them, acknowledge them, but don’t dwell. Continue to breathe now, allowing the abdomen to expand a little more as you breathe, noticing the sensation of each inhale and exhale.Once you feel grounded and relaxed and ‘inside your body’ start to focus on each part of your body from your toes all the way to the top of your head, breathing as you do so. The best way to explain this is…imagine for a second you do not have a thumb… automatically your attention is now on your thumb isn’t it? Bring your attention to each part of your body like this and keep breathing and pushing away those thoughts as you do so.Keep breathing, push away those thoughts and fully engage your senses.Continue as long as you want. Afterwards, you should feel less tension in the body and more grounded in the present moment.The Challenges’I don’t get anything our of it’. A lot of people give up after the first time they have tried. You’re not going to gain some kind of immediate enlightenment. But the long term benefits are there. It becomes second nature. You tune into your breath automatically in moments of quiet or stress or before bed or when just waiting around in a queue. It’s called practicing mindfulness for a reason. Think of learning an instrument or learning how drive at first. It’s difficult when you begin, but when you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.‘I don’t have time’ As well as this, people often say they don’t have time. If you don’t have five or ten minutes in your day to look after your mental well-being and sir and breathe then something needs to change. We exercise our bodies regularly so why not our minds? Remember to treat your mental health as you do your physical health and make the same amount of time for it!’I can’t stop thinking’ . Exactly. This is why you need to stick at it. Occasionally you’ll get those moments where you realise you’ve had a completely blank gap between thoughts and you’re just there in the here and now, and that feels remarkably pleasant.Give it a try for a week! Ten minutes a day. Just sit..and breathe. Enjoy!
Further reading/viewing/listeningYouTube- All it Takes is 10 mindful minutes by Andy Puddicombe (The man who created the Headspace app explains it all a lot better than I have probably! Check or out)Google – UCLA Mindfulness (Free meditations. I use these all the time. The sleep one is excellent if that’s something you have trouble with. I’m usually KO’d by the end of it)Google – Palouse Mindfulness (An easy to follow, 8 week guided meditation course. Free of charge too. Well worth it!)YouTube – Meditation: Eckhart Tolle (Mind blowing half hour, I guarantee it!)Apps: Headspace. Buddhify.

The other day I posted on Instagram that I might share something in the topic of mental health.

Anybody who is close to me, knows that I have had my ups and downs mentally over the years. I also have the ability to write, yet I’ve never combined the two and shared it publically. It’s hard to put yourself out there, firstly…to be very open and frank about something so personal. Secondly, I felt some might feel it was disingenuous. Then I realised that in fact, I, like many people, have been disingenuous countless times before on social media, posting an image which suggests fun, or joy, or a way of life, when in fact, at that very moment, the opposite can be true. A few nights ago, my brother and I met a 71 year old woman, named Janice. She seemed to be one of the most contented people I’ve ever met. I asked her what the key to a happy life was. She said simply, ‘Be true to yourself.’ So it’s time to do that.

I have dealt with depression and anxiety on and off since my teens. Luckily, it is a lot more rare now. I’d say 90% of the time I’m good. A couple of occurrences over a 24 hour period between Christmas Eve and Day just past, however, gave me an unstoppable urge to write this. So fuck it, here goes. It may not be for everyone, but I’m sure there are those who can relate. I’m also fully aware that there are people out there who are going through far worse things than anything mentioned in this piece, or that I can even understand, but I have witnessed the effects of poor mental health and mental illness.

I mentioned in the post the other day that mental health is extremely important to me, for many reasons. Well, for one, being a teacher of teenagers, I deal with their mental health on an almost daily basis. For me, it truly is the most important part of my job. People sometimes look down on teenagers, but I have found the current generation to be some of the most reflective, open-minded and conscious beings you could meet. Moreover, they are the first generation of teens to essentially live two lives. Reality and a cyber life. This creates obvious pressures. We all remember what it was like growing up as a teen; worrying about popularity, spots, what you say, what you do, girls or boys, sexuality, how you look. Imagine if it was all measurable? To them, it is, through streaks and likes. This adds pressure to their already vulnerable young minds. This is just one reason it’s so important to me.

Secondly, as mentioned above, it has affected my own life at times. As I write, I understand that I am lucky for many reasons, not least the fact that I can sit here and express this. But I would be lying if I said that anxiety and depression have not affected my life at times, whether it was work, relationships, decision-making, or commitment to teams for example. That is not to use it as an excuse, as admittedly I’ve just been a massive fucking arsehole too sometimes, and I am fully aware we must take responsibility for our own actions and for who we are, but I do know how I have felt in certain moments, during panic attacks, bouts of depression, crippling anxiety, a desire to feel complete nothingness and total and utter loneliness.

Thirdly, and I won’t go into too much detail here, but family and friends have both suffered in the past and I am always conscious of this fact.

Anyway, moving on to what triggered this piece of writing. On the night of Christmas Eve, lying down on the beautiful island of Koh Phangan in Thailand, I felt the most severe anxiety I have felt in a very long time. The majesty of my surroundings was no consolation as something like a vice gripped my chest. My heart felt as though it would explode through visible palpatations, my mind screamed at a deafening pitch, my body became paralysed with fear, doubt and self-loathing. I could not breathe, I physically trembled and no matter how much I tried to calm it became worse. On that moment, I wanted to experience anything but the extreme claustrophobia of my chest and mind. I had a desire to literally tear my hair out. You hear the term ‘crippling anxiety’ and I sometimes wonder if people believe it is a real thing. Luckily, it had been a while since I have felt it, but there it was. Paralysin, crippling anxiety. I was trapped, enclosed, a prisoner in my own mind. I called my girlfriend April, who along with her mother, talked me though the process. I calmed slightly, but slept for less than two hours. 

But why did this happen? I’m no professional in the area of course, but through experience, observation, research and conversation, I believe it was a culmination of things. 

First of all, I was just depressed. I had been for a few weeks, but this time I had failed to recognise it or deal with it. 

Let me go back a little bit….

Four months ago, I, along with my best friend Jonathan McGuirk, gave up drinking alcohol. Personally, I had felt it was the root cause of all my problems mentally throughout the years. Anybody who ever shared a room with me during a hangover will know what I’m talking about. Keith and the boys I live with have had to do their fair share of counseling!

When I quit, I made a detailed plan. A list of the reasons, potential benefits and potential challenges I would face. (For anybody interested, I can send it on) And I stuck to it. For over three months, it worked. I felt on top of the world. Invincible. ‘There it is,’ I thought, ‘Ive found the solution. No booze’. Simple.

I had read Eckhart Tolle’s book ‘The Power of Now’ (for me, my bible!) and taken one particular phrase from it. In any given situation, there are three possibilities. Change the situation, move away from the situation or accept the situation. Sometimes, it’s neither possible to change it or move away, in which case you must accept it. I couldn’t accept hangovers or what drinking was doing to my mental health. I couldn’t move away from the consumption of alcohol (I do live in Ireland after all!), so I had to change. It HAD worked…

Then it all changed. About three weeks ago, familiar patterns started to re-emerge. I lacked motivation, for everything really. I didn’t really want to see anyone or chat. I had a limited interest in exercise or running or reading or basically anything productive. I was getting that feeling of disconnection from the world again. That unjustifiable anger at the world for being how it is and that unjustifiable anger at people for being who they are. A desire to be anywhere else but in my head. 

The next part is important. I had read about, and believe in, 8 areas that impact the quality of your life. They are:

-Your thoughts

-Your words

-Your food

-Your sleep

-Your fitness

-Your purpose

-Your environment

-Your relationships

For the previous three months, I could confidently state I was on top of each of these. I woke up every day, buzzing. I was confident, enthusiastic, motivated, happy. All of a sudden, this was gone. In relation to the eight above, my thoughts had become predominantly negative, I was eating nothing but takeaways and crap, my sleeping pattern was all over the place, I wasn’t running, I questioned my purpose in life, I didn’t want to be anywhere except in my room and I was a poor contributor to my relationships, whether with my friends, girlfriend, family or work colleagues.

I have been a huge believer for some time now, that mental health equates to physical health, in that it is changeable and much like how we can improve the condition of our bodies through exercise or working out, so too must we exercise and work out our minds. For me, this includes:

-Mindfulness meditation

-Reading and writing

-CBT

-Actively practicing gratitude

-Open, honest conversation.

-Trying (though admittedly with difficulty) to turn away from the phone for a while.

For months I had been doing these too. Now I found myself doing none. I stopped meditating, feeling I didn’t have the time, which the biggest bullshit excuse not to meditate anyway. I read and wrote nothing, I questioned none of my thoughts, I wasn’t engaging fully in conversation and I was scrolling mind numbingly through Twitter and Instagram. 

I had neglected these and was depressed. When you are depressed, sometimes you feel nothing. You long to feel something. The tragic Joy Division singer, Ian Curtis, wrote a great song called ‘Disorder’. Some say it’s about his epilepsy and some say his depression, which ultimately led to him taking his own life. In it, he writes:

‘Ive been waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand,

Could these sensations make me feel the pleasure of a normal man?

These sensations barely interest me for another day,

I’ve got the spirit, lose the feeling, take the shock away’.

I interpret it to mean his desire to feel something, anything normal. He knows deep down that there is vigour and beauty in the life. He knows the spirit of it, but he has no feeling. Listen to how he roars, ‘Feeling, Feeling, Feeling, Feeling’ at the end. To me , almost a desperate cry to feel something, anything.

In the throes of depression or anxiety like I felt the other night, you long for something, even a long, hard cry, to almost chisel away at the concrete block that is your chest. (Just listening now, and man, I love Joy Division!)

Anyway, I digress. I found myself on this beach on Christmas Eve, with a panic attack, resulting from a bout of depression I had not acknowledged. I felt angry, confused, alone. I felt entitled to feel good. ‘Ive given up drinking like, what more do I need to do?’ And then I realised. It isn’t just alcohol. I’d neglected all those other things I mentioned above. Those 8 areas, and my ‘mental training’ if you will. I had pushed away the idea I was depressed, assuming it was a small blip and that once I got to Thailand it’d be ok. But again, environment is just one thing that’s important. I have been lucky to travel plenty over the years, but the amount of times I have seen people who are deeply unhappy in beautiful places. It doesn’t matter where you are. The place that matters most is inside your own head. Prioritise that place first. Nurture it and look after it, like your body. You only get one. 

I had also forgotten to take into account the fact that last year around this time, the doctor had told me I had the symptoms of SADS (Seasonal Affective Disorder Syndrome) and no matter what this was going to affect me a little bit. Once I remembered this, and realised I hadn’t taken tablets in a few months, I became a bit relieved. It was an explanation to myself as to why I was where I was at this particular moment, mentally. I know I can nurture my mind, by applying the tools above. Mental illness, like physical illness, is something fare more difficult to change of course, but we can all take action to improve our mental health, just like we can our physical health. This is up to me and it’s up to you. 

I looked back to a moment a couple of weeks ago where I delivered a speech to a large group of students in how to cope with poor mental health essentially. I spoke about some of these tools, but afterwards I felt empty and hypocritical, because here I was spouting on but not actively applying the tools myself. Find what your tools are, apply them and set short and long term goals. Then commit to these long term goals. I once heard Mickey Harte (the GAA manager, not the one time Eurovision sensation) refer to commitment as,

‘Staying true to a promise long after the mood you made it in has left you’. 

It’s not always easy but I love that quote and try to keep it in mind as much as is possible. I forgot my commitment for a little while.

Slight digression again here, but no matter how good somebody seems to have  it on social media, don’t worry. You’re probably just as content in that moment. Comparison truly is the theft of joy. I’m guilty of it on both counts. Right now, I feel good, but there have been times, including the other day, where I was anxious and depressed on a beautiful island, posting shit that made me look as happy as Larry! I appreciate the irony of posting this on social media by the way. I get my kicks from running, or the outdoors or good company and I usually post on these things but I’ve definitely posted in the past where it made as look as though things were better than they were at that time. Be wary of that. No matter where you are, who you’re with and what you’re doing, as long as you’re in any way content, just embrace it and live in that moment. Nobody’s life is better than yours if you are happ, whatever you’re doing. You cannot change the past and any image you have in your mind of the future is a fabrication that will never transpire exactly as you imagined it. Live in the present. The here and now. Please do not feel as though I’m preaching, as I’m reminding myself to do these things as much as anyone else. 

I’m near the end now I promise!

But back to Christmas gone by. After the panic attack on Christmas Eve, I slept less than two hours. I woke up the next morning. Agitated. Panicked. Weighted. All I could think to do was run. 

Ok, slight digression again. I don’t like Christmas anymore. I loved it as a kid and was very lucky to have two parents who made it extremely magical every year, but as a 30 year old man, I get stressed and disillusioned by the in-your-face consumerist element, the pressure to give and receive things. I am not religious and I feel nothing but a mixture of nostalgia and that weight of expectation to convey a feeling from my childhood that is no longer possible to feel. The only outlet is to drink heavily, which I did for a few years, but I do not have the interest in that anymore.

So I ran. And kept running. Not like Forrest Gump. About 10k. I forgot to drink any water beforehand or to bring any and hadn’t drank anything after the exhaustion of my panic attacks. I had only made a half attempt at eating a meal the previous day too. Almost comically, I fainted, right in front of a group of 20-something year old Thai lads, outside their tattoo shop. They were celebrating the older guy’s birthday, gave some water, tea and had a chat and then the youngest brought me back to my accomodation on his scooter. About an hour later, my head still clearly a bit all over the place, I got into difficulty swimming. I’m a very bad swimmer and it was deeper than I thought. More panic. I was helped up and slit my toe somewhere along the process, but luckily there was a really nice Danish woman on hand with a medical kit to sort me out. Cheesy as it sounds, in that moment I thought two things. The true spirit of Christmas or really and time of year is simply kind acts. And secondly, it was time to cop the fuck on. It’s so simple to be kind to people, and it’s free. We, and myself especially, forget that sometimes because either we feel able bit shitty about ourselves or we think that person is ‘grand’ anyway or veacuse were Irish there’s probably an element of begrudgery. We forget that at any time anybody could be going through some kind of shit we don’t even know about. My good friend Anwar is a shining example of this kindness. Unfailingly, he greets people with a hug and a smile and always had a compliment or kind words for every body. It doesn’t cost him a thing. 

I repeat, thoughts, words, food, sleep, fitness, purpose, environment and relationships. Observe them. Be mindful of them. You’ll rarely tick all the boxes, but if you tick some of them, you’re doing ok. Just as I am now, thankfully.

Though mental health is now less taboo, there is still that feeling out there that ‘you can just pull yourself together’ It’s just not always that easy. Not for everyone. Men find it difficult. The rate of suicides among young males is scary. There are expectation to be masculine, not to express too much and not to stray too far from the crowd in terms of your belief, actions or values. 

I am grateful that there are guys out there like Blindboy from the Rubberbandits, Russell Brand and Bressie, who speak openly about mental health and normalise it.

I am grateful that despite feeling like this sometimes, I live a fun and enjoyable life, surrounded by great people, in a great place. 

I am grateful that I have the tools at my disposal to overcome anxiety and depression whenever it rears its ugly head again.

I am grateful for the constant patience, love and generosity of my family. My parents Chris and Josephine and my brother Conor who put up with me last week.

I am grateful for my beautiful girlfriend April and her Mam for calming me in a time of need.

I am grateful for a particular bunch of friends, all of whom do not need to be named, bit know who they are, for always lending a listening ear, but also speaking openly about their problems and allowing my to assist.

I am grateful for my work, for the written word, my students and the courage to finally express all of this. 

If there’s something in it all that resonates, feel free to hit me up.

Some things I’d recommend checking out if you’re feeling a bit low are:

-The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. (Also a 30 mom speech on YouTube.niys fantastic)

-Blindboy’s podcast series on Cognitive Therapy.

-Wim Hof and his breathing methods.

-Mindfulness apps like Headspace or Buddhify or just Google ‘UCLA Mindfulness’

-The brilliant Irish mental health blog ‘A Lust for Life’s

-Russell Brand’s short videos on Twitter.

-Russell Brand’s Under the Skin podcast with Tony Robbins.

-Youtube the twenty minute TED talk on ‘The Power of Vulnerability’. Watch this definitely!

Or above all, have a chat with somebody! 

Have a great new year. I intend to!

Chris.

Having toyed with the idea of setting up a blog for a while, I have tentatively decided to do so now. Why? Well, basically, just for a place to leave the stuff I write. I expect nothing, but I like to write and if anybody ever gets anything from it, then great. If not, it does not matter!

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

I’m not completely sure, but probably anything along the lines of…mental health, reading, running, sport and whatever else comes to mind!

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.