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Have you met anyone who has taken the proverbial road that’s been less traveled by many?

If not, hello, I’m Jason. I used to be a very obedient boy who did everything his parents ordered without any question. I was always on the clock; I was never allowed to go out with my friends. All my parents wanted me to do was study so that I could become a doctor someday, just like them.

In reality, however, I questioned my folks every time in my mind. They merely did not know about it because I feared getting sent to a boarding school if they caught me acting up. So, I studied hard and eventually earned my pre-med degree and got into med school to please them.

Now, whenever I told people about my dilemma, only a few could understand me. Many of them said, “Your parents want to pay for your med school. Boo-hoo!” They assumed that I was a bratty kid who could not appreciate all the privileges that were within an arm’s length, but they were wrong.

I was—and forever will be—grateful for everything that my family has given to me. Despite that, my passion is not into curing or diagnosing various diseases, no matter how noble the profession may be. I wanted to be a blogger and a thumping good one at that.

My Journey To The Blogging World

I got a shot towards my dream job when I saw an ad for a guest writer at an online magazine. I dug up a few old articles I wrote way back in high school and updated and sent them to the editor with my resume. Two weeks passed by, and I was losing hope about receiving a reply. But one afternoon, I got an email from the said online magazine editor, saying that my articles impressed me. They wanted me to do a piece regarding the challenges that teenagers with strict parents were facing these days.

Well, the editor couldn’t have given me a better topic than that. And when my friends read the final copy, they all said that I had the potential to have a writing career. Of course, hearing that meant the world for me. It was something that my mom and dad never supported, claiming that there was no money in any writing job.

Without my parents’ knowledge, therefore, I created a blog. It was about the three things I was interested in: traveling, gadgets, and DIY hacks. The first few weeks were idle; only my pals visited the website. However, for some reason, I woke up one day with tens of thousands of online visitors. Companies were asking how much I wanted to get paid to write about their products, too.

Despite my parents’ protests, I moved out of the house, dropped out of med school, and started blogging full-time.

Problems With Blogging

Blogging gave me peace of mind for years. Everything I couldn’t say for years, I managed to let out through my writing. Readers held on to every word I wrote; they loved getting tips and advice from me. Luckily, my family didn’t write me off entirely, but I also knew I didn’t want to hear a single I-told-you-so later, so I made sure that my blogging career would thrive for a long time.

The problem is, after the fifth year of being a blogger, my craft started feeling more like a job than a hobby. I wrote and published blogs on specific days; my social life was hanging by a thread because I focused on the website too much. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, my blog was giving me mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

What To Do

It took a few more months before I decided to do a self-intervention. Below are the countermeasures I had taken to feel better about blogging again:

Go On A Long Holiday

My first action was looking for a European cruise that would let me stay away from home for at least a month. When I found one that would go around almost every European country for six weeks, I grabbed the opportunity immediately.

I used this time to reconnect with my adventurous side and get to know other cultures. Every time we docked in one city for two days, I walked around, met some locals, and practically learned how to enjoy life without worrying about my website.

Stop Writing On Schedule

Being too organized did not do me any good over time. I thought it was the best thing to do back then, but it backfired on me as I kept pushing myself to write when my brain didn’t want to cooperate.

During the cruise, I still wrote blogs, but I only did it whenever I felt inspired to do so. Mind you; there was a stark difference with my writing experience here. The words flowed from my brain to my pen more smoothly; I almost didn’t need to think about what I wanted to say.

Bottom Line

The trip renewed my love for blogging and allowed my mental health issues to go away. I didn’t know it was possible, but it happened. If your career gives you depression or anxiety, too, try to be spontaneous and approach things differently. Good luck!…

Source: peakpx.com

This is such a great time to be alive – living in an era of supreme technology, information, and great opportunities. It does make one overwhelmed sometimes, but it is absolutely exciting. It provides a lot of benefits for families from all kinds of angles. With the rise of digital phones, computers, and tablets even getting more modern and upgraded, more families depend on the World Wide Web for various data, entertainment, and of course a way through which they can share their lives with their other loved ones and the rest of the people across the world. Maintaining a family blog site is a progressing trend that is projected to exist for a long time. Many websites are presenting their platforms for free or for very affordable one-time fees so that practically anyone can create his or her own blog in the design and template that suits is customized to their lifestyle.

So why is it that more and more people, including families, are trying to learn and run a family blog? Here are some of the most common reasons that some members of the household gave us during a survey.

To Keep In Touch

Some studies have revealed that approximately 40% of people stay in their hometown, the place where they were born. This means that a massive 60% of the rest of the Americans had gathered their roots and brought them along when they left their hometowns to find greener pastures in other cities or states – or countries. Some families go where jobs are plenty and accessible; others want to escape a sad past or just can’t wait to experience the sounds and sights of the city.

Source: arcenergygroup.com.au

Whatever reason they may have, this carries a sense of solace for a lot of families that are striving to keep in touch with people that they had left before they wanted a new life. Running a family blog site is a wonderful means of keeping their significant others informed and updated about their whereabouts and whatnot – everything that the family is going through with each of their lives – especially those relatives who live far from them. Popular social media platforms that are being used today are Instagram and Facebook. But more than just a space for a family vacation and candid photos, blogs can help record the big or small details that make up their journey as a family.

Documenting Events And Experiences

You may not realize it first when you’re just doing the laundry and tidying the house, but these simple moments will pass you by quicker than you expected. Creating a family blog is a great and cost-effective way of keeping records of the various challenges of each family member. Soon, when the kids are off to college, they’re going to look back and have a read at the blog and thank their parents for teaching them to clean up and always spend time together in the living room on weekends. They’ll sit down and talk with their friends about how they miss their family and perhaps share with them parts of their blog about their exciting family outings. You can also treat your blog as a journal of your family’s highs and lows and how you were able to survive by helping each other. It will feel nostalgic just scanning through the pages and reading about your first Christmas in the city or the first big baseball game that you watched together.

Free Digital Album

Almost everyone loves to take family pictures – and what better way to capture and save these photos but through a blog site that you can visit anytime. You won’t have to purchase a photo album and see what goes in or what doesn’t. If you want to revisit your trip to the Niagara Falls, then you can always do so any time and any place where there’s an Internet connection. You don’t need to carry a bulky photo album with you just to keep your family close to you while you’re away. Plus, you get to share these photos online for your relatives and close friends to see. If you wish to have a more organized digital album, you can assign tabs for each family member and place corresponding photos there. This is a wonderful habit that should be passed on to generations.

Source: new-startups.com

Filter What You Share

Of course, not all family members remember the time John got a contusion during summer camp with the same affection – John most probably doesn’t want to recall this as often as you do. Make sure that all family members approve the posts – posts that are will not put them in an insecure, dangerous, or uncomfortable position. A family blog site is also not the best space to vent about a family quarrel or secret. Give your posts a long thought of whether or not they are inspiring or harmful. Family blogs may not be all good and colorful, but they shouldn’t be degrading or too revealing either. What’s private must remain private for the family.

Bottom Line

Ultimately, maintaining a family blog provides more good than harm and offers a lot of benefits for very few risks. Families just need to agree on their own rules and, of course, follow simple and easy guidelines. You can’t stop time from running fast, but you can keep a record of memories that families can cherish for a lifetime.

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There are a lot of things you can use to ease up the anxiety you feel during this pandemic time. Perhaps you tried reading a lot of books, or maybe you tried learning how to cook. Or you managed to binge-watch your favorite series or entertain yourself through your mobile device. Well, all of those are beneficial in keeping you sane in this time of crisis. But for me, I entirely like one thing in particular, and that is writing.

Source: pexels.com

When Did I Start Writing?

At first, I thought it was too late to grab a pen and a notebook and write something, particularly about this whole pandemic situation. I was having difficulty putting my thoughts and emotions in a piece of paper because I thought it would be useless. That writing will not take the negativities in my head, so I was entirely hesitant to work on it. But for the past couple of weeks, I felt so distracted, and I can’t explain why. I was always annoyed and irritated by all the things around me. I distanced myself from everyone because I often experienced a meltdown where all I do is cry and complain about my situation.

I was too focused on my hardships that I don’t care about what others are struggling with. I felt I deserve all the attention because I was vulnerable, and I can’t deal with my mental and emotional issues alone. I was too selfish even to care to think of other people’s needs because I felt like it would be a waste of time. That’s where it hits me. I need to straighten my thoughts, and that is where I started writing all those negativities down.

Source: pexels.com

What Did I Write?

I was confused as to how I should write everything in my head. Luckily, I managed to collect my thoughts and list all the things I hated about my life. Here are some of those:

I hated that people look down on me because of my inability to create and sustain a conversation. I hated how people judged the way I chose to dress. I hated living all alone, but I don’t want other people to enter my life. I hated how I wished everyone dead because but I believe they deserve it. I hated other people when they make excuses, but I like it when I excused myself. I hated how things around me are always changing because I don’t want the new normal. I hated that I struggled with anxiety and depression, which is because of the uncertainties of this pandemic.

Source: pexels.com

After I wrote down some of these negative thoughts, I was shocked to realize that I have been struggling emotionally and mentally over the past few years. I was unaware of my life situations, and I thought I was okay. That is where I became thankful for this pandemic state because it showed me that I was in bad shape. And after writing all those things, I began to think of the inevitable. I aimed to be better. So after listing all of that stuff, I immediately looked for solutions to the problems I have one-by-one. Now, I can say that I handled some of the worst thoughts I have, and I felt better now that I recognized what life my issues are.

Source: pexels.com

Honestly, writing doesn’t have to be anything fancy, nor it needs to cost a fortune. All you got to have is a notebook and a pen where you can get your thoughts down. From there, you write, read and internalize the things you wrote about yourself and learn from it.…

It has been almost entirely a month since the world came across the COVID-19 virus. Admittedly, it is not a comfortable situation. There are lots of affected people on each side of the world. The sad part, a lot of them are dying. No one knows how to stop this. Also, no one knows the exact time when this pandemic would end. It seems like everything about it is hanging in the air. The mass testing, the lockdown, and the loss of economic strength, everything is exhausting.

Source: pixabay.com

The Fear Of Losing A Life

One thing that causes too much anxiety in this situation is the fear of losing someone due to the virus. People hear the news every day that a family member or a friend gets contacted with the disease. There is this daily hope that makes individuals wish not to see a familiar face on the television because they already know what the news would bring them. Though I understand the emotional relief of knowing that the particular person they saw on the story is not someone they know. Still, everyone is scared of their loved ones.

But the hardship never ends there. The fact that if someone these people know got infected, the person needs to isolate himself from the rest of his family. Imagine him living inside the same house having limited access to the people he only wishes to see. It is devastating. And to think that it is safe and all, no, it is not. The level of anxiety increases because that individual could have infected this entire family in seconds if not careful enough to follow strict protocols.

Source: pxfuel.com

The Worries Of Not Living Life

Currently, people understand the situation. Somehow the majority of them are still inclined to listen and follow specific safety protocols. But though they feel a little less stress staying at their homes, the anxiety they feel for not enjoying life is lurking inside. Of course, people do want to have themselves infected with the virus. But they do not want to get stuck in their homes for the rest of their lives either. They need the outside world because there is more life there than in the four-cornered wall.

Perhaps everyone can understand that the fear of not losing a life is more significant than the eagerness of exploring the outside world when there is a virus present. Honestly, staying at home is very challenging. People need to stop doing what they used to do and just stay at home. Well, it is not that the whole process is unworthy because the lockdown brings the family together, though. But for some, the situation increases anxiety as well as boredom.

At some point, this pandemic takes everyone’s emotional and mental strength down to the pit. The fear of losing a life and not living life to fullest collide. But what choice do people have?

Source: pixabay.com

Takeaway

You see, this virus is not something people can’t shrug off. It kills thousands of people across the globe in a limited amount of days. And if you think about it, no one is entirely safe. Every person’s lives are in danger. People may not like what is happening in the world right now, but all they can do is hope and pray that things will soon come back to normal.

There is nothing more worrisome than recognizing that the world is not safe anymore. But even though people already experienced the worst, a lot of them still look on the bright side. That this situation is temporary, and sooner or later, it will end. Yes, no one knows when and how, but it will get there.

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The 2018 Blogging Conference, which was primarily for mental health bloggers, discussed the importance of their role in educating about mental health as well as the role they play on the surrounding issues on the matter. Blogs then need to be more attractive and enticing. Fixing your design is both a simple and complicated process in blogging. Simple in a way that it can easily be studied and complicated due to the nitty-gritty technical process you have to undergo. To help you get started with making your blog more attractive, here are some tips that you should consider. 

Use A Maximum Of Three Fonts

Using more than three fonts won’t make your website creative. Instead, it will only result in a messy blog. Make sure to incorporate only one font for your headline, one for your logo, and one for your body content. 

Simplify Your Layout

Whenever visitors go to your blog, they most likely have a goal in mind. It’s either they want to watch your videos, read on your write-ups, or join the community forum. Whatever it is, you should ensure that they fulfill all of these without having to go through a lot of steps.

At the very least, make sure that your blog has the following components:

• Search Box
• Menu
• About Page
• Contact Page
• Archives Page

Employ Only 2 To 3 Colors 

Take note that using many colors in the interface will only hurt the eyes of your visitors. Your blog should only employ these three – a shade of grey (to emphasize and de-emphasize), one primary color (to establish your brand), and a color dedicated for your call-to-action (to entice your audience). 

Place A Simple Header

Believe it or not, your blog’s header is the first thing that your visitor notices! Therefore, it is vital to design one that is simple yet attractive. 

One option is to use an image that is related to your blog. Do not use low-resolution photos, since this will only ruin the touch of your site. Another road you can take is to use typography or font-based headers, that will spell your blog’s name. This feature will add to the website’s brand recall. 

Separate Content Using 1-Pixel Borders

Borders are the best way to keep your blog clean. Designers use this for different sections of the website, and to avoid overlapping materials. 

So, open your laptop now, and apply these five designing tips to your blog! …

Love is labeled as the universal language that knows no boundaries of socioeconomic class, backgrounds, and race. Love is something every individual craves to find in their lifetime because of the universality of the concept of love. Thus, it is not surprising that “Love” is a billion-dollar industry. Dating sites and applications are lucrative ventures. Restaurants, floral shops, hotels, and retail stores are flourishing with sales during Valentine’s season. Blogs on relationship advice, tips on dating, love problems and compatibility are a big hit to the public and a great way to generate additional income. If you are planning on trying your luck in the blogosphere, then starting a relationship blog might be for you.…