I think it’s obvious that I’ve started ramping things up around here. I’m posting more often than ever instead of taking weeks off at a time whenever I feel to. And I’m basically starting to treat the blog as more than something I just do for fun. I’ll talk about that more in a few weeks but wanted I really wanted to touch on today was why I’ve also gotten increasingly more personal on the blog...out loud.
In the midst of all the borderline professionalism, for lack of a better term, I started doing these all-the-feels type Thursday posts. At first, I planned for it to be a one-off thing since my weight gain was literally weighing me down, mentally and physically. ExSloth is supposed to be all about healthy living and I felt like a fraud keeping this giant secret. So I sat down and finally shared my truth with you.
[Tweet “Why I started writing about more personal topics on my blog #thebloglife #healthyliving”]
It was so nerve wracking and I thought for sure it would be the last time I did something like that. But I’ve kept going over the last couple of weeks and I’ll probably keep writing these posts for the foreseeable future. Why? Again, for a variety of reasons.
Why I’ll continue to get personal on the blog
1. Because it’s cathartic (and cheaper than therapy)
It’s becoming increasingly clear to me that I have a lot of unresolved issues that I’ve been neglecting. But like I mentioned last week, I’m still unemployed after graduating more than a year ago. So I don’t have any extra cash lying around to pay for professional help.
Luckily, there’s something immensely freeing about putting pen to paper fingers to keyboard and seeing my true thoughts and feelings laid bare. I’ve never been a huge fan of journaling but I image this feeling is similar to the one you’d get from that practice. Whatever the reason, it’s working. So I’ll take it.
2. Because health is more than eating well and working out.
I share a lot of healthy recipes on the blog and talk quite a bit about healthy eating and getting active. And in the past I occasionally touched on the mental health side of things. But you know what? It wasn’t enough.
My mental state dictates quite a lot of my everyday life. If I’m having a down day or struggling with something internally, it’s going to manifest itself in other areas and quite often, my health suffers because of it. So it stands to reason that a blog focused on healthy living should address staying mentally healthy more than just occasionally, right?
3. Because you seem to like them.
I’m not talking about pageviews and stuff like that. Although, these posts do get a fair amount of action. I’m talking about the comments and messages I’ve been getting from some of you.
For so long I kept quiet about my internal struggles and let things get sort of superficial around here. I figured that no-one wanted to hear about my bad days or my insecurities or my weight gain. But it turns out that we’re all kind of stumbling around in our own way but we just didn’t talk about it.
Plus, keeping up a perpetually sunny personality, even if it’s just a few times a week, wasn’t serving me at all. Trying to find ways to continuously be happy and upbeat in my posts gets exhausting real quick, especially when you’re struggling. Recipes and funny anecdotes are great, but sometimes you just gotta let it all hang out, ya know?
It goes against everything in my intensely private, introverted nature to talk about my feelings, struggles and insecurities. But real life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s ups and twice as many downs and tears and heartache.
So I’ve decided to take one for the team and keep baring pieces of my soul on the blog. And I’ll continue sharing my truth with you here for as long as we need me to.
What about you?
- Do you get personal on your blog?
- Would you prefer I stuck with recipes and more ‘surface’ posts or do you enjoy these glimpses into my life/psyche?
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I like the personal stories. I read somewhere, on blogging, that we must write articles to get our readers in… then they will care about us and our personal life. However, I also find that I’m looking for people to connect to, who also share similar struggles.
I love to learn more about the person BEHIND the words and the blog.
I think that’s why Im a huge fan of memoirs as well.
I want to know who you are and what drives you and what scares you and why you do what you do.
<3
CARLA recently posted…Why Adult Coloring Is Good For Stress (guest post).
Hi Gizzy. It’s great getting to know you at this level. Keep it coming.
IN my blogging experience, the more personal the post, the more universal its effect. When we share our struggles, we share that we are also human and so much more than the delicious recipes, healthy living tips or workouts that we share. And that’s a beautiful truth, no matter how “ugly” the personal topics we touch on can feel.
I love any and all your posts! I actually really love when healthy living/food bloggers post personal stuff. Like. I search for that kind of post when I get to new blogs.
I used to post personal posts, but now I usually just weave them into my recipe posts. I have been meaning to talk about a few things, but it’s always scary to do!!
Leah | love me, feed me recently posted…wiaw #58
I hear ya! I stepped away from the more personal r discussion-type posts for a while, and I seriously missed them… Not only because writing them makes me feel good, but because of the amount of discussion they raise. I love sharing recipes, but I also love writing… and that’s why I/m hoping I can keep up with 1 more personal post a week!
Amanda @ .running with spoons. recently posted…the golden milk experiment & what am i supposed to do now?! (ToL#188)
i do share personal-healthy living related post on the blog because it is a relatable topic to many of us. i really appreciate you sharing your struggles because trust me, someone somewhere is going through something similar. it is also very cathartic feeling and writing things down helps clear out a lot of things within ourselves…
dixya @food, pleasure, and health recently posted…Golden Milk Chia Pudding
I used to get more personal on my blog but I’ve stepped away from that lately (mostly because I’ve stepped away from posting in general… 3x a week has turned into 1x a month if I’m lucky… oops). I did enjoy sharing more personal posts in the past though because like you said, it was a nice outlet, and it was always reassuring to hear from others who could relate!
Chelsea’s Healthy Kitchen recently posted…Homemade Hummus with Canned Chickpeas
I’m so happy to hear about your personal struggles! Mostly because I’m nosy. 😉 (jk…well maybe not) I think we all share some of the same struggles, so it’s nice to have a space to connect and share our experiences with others. I LOVE all your recipes (seriously you are a genius) but it’s nice to get a little more personal sometimes, too!
I also have a hard time opening up and sharing personal things. This is true for me both virtually, through blogging and Instagram, and in real life. However, it’s really important to open up about difficulties you’re facing. Like you said, it’s cheaper than therapy (lol), but also it can help others who are going through the same thing. Not to mention, it’s nice to learn more about the bloggers behind the recipes as it creates a more personal feel and can build a community. I’m going to also try to be more open on my blog and I hope you will continue to do the same.
xxMeah
Meah recently posted…Sweaty Saturday #5 Week’s Workouts Recap
I’m just kind of dancing with happiness reading this, because for so long, I’ve wondered what the food bloggers behind the blogs were like. Georgie from In It 4 The Long Run was one of the first I followed who shared more of her personal lessons and struggles, and I thought, ‘Wow, these people are real people like me?’ That almost sounds ridiculous saying it but I had some odd idea that they weren’t normal people. O_O And then I think, ‘Wow, this is something I struggle with. I’m so thankful to not be alone.’
Emily Swanson recently posted…Dealing with Travel Anxiety + A Travel Giveaway!
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I can perfectly imagine how difficult it must be to write a chemistry lab report. It clearly shouldn’t be for everyone. If I were in your case, I would clearly seek professional help without a second’s hesitation. But of course, the problem is where to find that professional help. Good luck in your search. I hope someone can help you. Regards.
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