Guest Post - Blogging Helps Deal with Disease

I'm trying out something new today: a guest blog. I've had several requests by people I don't know to write a guest blog, normally trying to plug something I don't use and am not interested in. Melanie Bowen contacted me about a guest post because she is trying to raise awareness of ways of dealing with serious diseases such as cancer. 

She writes for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance blog but I asked her to make her post appropriate for a more general audience which she kindly has. So here is her guest post which, she says "encompasses the idea and importance of inspiration and self-motivation. Every illness has its limitations, but I firmly believe that goals and positivity go hand in hand on an individual’s path to healing and quality of life. I have linked to reputable courses and studies in this field and have tailored the article to encompass those ideas." 

I thought it worth sharing, so thank you Melanie for getting in touch.

Being diagnosed with a serious condition can severely upset your life. Diseases such as chronic asthma, arthritis, mesothelioma and other cancers, and even diabetes often have a serious prognosis that can lead a person to feel depressed or lose focus in life. However, it is more important than ever to have focus and a drive to succeed through these diseases.

Catalog and log your desires in anyway possible. One of the best ways is through a blog. Blogs offer many advantages that normal journals do not. For example, you can share your desires with other interested blogger. Bloggers can cheer you on and give you the support you need to succeed when you are low on energy, focus and desire. Why not start a personal blog for yourself or public blog today?

Blogging can actually be good for your health as well. Dr. Alice Flaherty from the Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital says that blogging helps a person feel better about their condition due to the "the placebo theory of suffering." She states that logging desires and "complaining" about your condition creates a placebo effect of feeling better and more satisfied. It can help eliminate stress which can contribute to worsening health conditions, loss of sleep, tension, neurotic behaviors and mood swings.

A blog of your desires and wishes can work kind of like a reminder to help you stay focused on your goals. Writing about your goals every day and discussing their progress motivates you forward and helps keep your mind of your disease. One of the most important things to do when you have a serious condition is to try to rise above it. Focusing on your goals, such as your New Year resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking or take less pain medication daily can help you rise above your disease and be a stronger, more motivated person.

However, a blog should not be a place where you complain about your life and your disease. Instead, you should try to occasionally focus on positive aspects of your life that lie outside of your disease. For example, if you are working towards a promotion at work, track this goal's progress in your blog. This goal has nothing to do with your disease but is an important part of your life. Try to focus less and less on your disease and your condition as you write in your blog.

The essential goal of your blog should be to help you rise above the daily concerns and worries associated with your condition. Rising above these concerns will help relax your mind, focus it on more interesting aspects of your life and help you avoid being defined by your disease. Make your blog a healing, healthy place.