Why We Love to Blog: Blogging as Therapy
Person blogs that recount an experience are becoming more and more popular. There is a whole community of mother’s and father’s who blog about the ups and downs of parenting. Writers often have blogs to promote their own work. People start blogs to recount their struggle with a disease or to account for a particular amazing journey they are embarking upon. A blog can be about anything.
Many people start their blogs to offer a glimpse into their life. They offer information from “real” people who have no ulterior motive but to recount their experience and hope others will learn from it. People who write these blogs may not be able to get on TV or publish a self-help book, but they are blogging in hopes to reach an audience of people and share a similar (or completely different) experience.
Still, many bloggers overlook one simple portion of why they blog: for themselves. It may be for attention, sympathy or even help, but more so people are writing about experiences because it helps put those experiences into perspective. It’s almost like a form of therapy. While blogging doesn’t take away the need for therapy for some, it acts as a place where someone can get some insight into themselves.
Writing is an age-old form of catharsis for many. Catharsis can be defined as a release of emotional tension. When you’re full of turmoil, writing it all out helps release some of that stress. When you’re sitting down writing, you might not feel better or have any better handle on the situation, but once it’s all out, some weight has been lifted. You begin to feel a little lighter, and that’s the first step in beginning to see your issue clearly and then work through it. Writing is a cathartic act because it allows you to release your feelings without worrying about what anyone else will be thinking.
However, when you begin to blog what you write, you’re opening yourself up to other people’s thoughts and judgments. This is where the introspection comes in. Unlike a personal diary or journal that is strictly for your own reading and no one else will see, a blog is a public forum. Therefore, when you post you’re writing you begin to look at what you’ve written from another person’s standpoint. While it may not sound like it, in some instances this can be a very good thing. You’re forced to look at your own writing and feelings from a new, fresh perspective. This may allow you some new and fresh solutions or ideas in regards to your feelings. You begin to self-analyze what you’ve written and why you’ve written it. You are allowing yourself to look into your feelings in a more objective light. Sometimes this can be immeasurably valuable.
By allowing writing to be a cathartic act, you are taking the first step to better introspection. Posting this writing in a blog, knowing people will read your words and react to them helps you get past your own judgments and work towards better self-awareness. Blogging is one way to ease up on yourself, not be so harsh on your shortcomings, and instead see them in a more objective light.
Blogging can be a truly revolutionary act, because it can allow you to better know yourself. Blogging has become popular because it has allowed many people to work through their problems through the written word in a public forum.
