10 Reasons You Should Love Blogging

  • by Paul Bowley
  • 15 Aug, 2016

Blog posts are a great way to get recognized within your community and share your voice. Here are the top 10 reasons you should love writing blog posts.

Anyone can make one:
For better or worse, anyone can write a blog post about anything they want. Everyone has a voice and the best voices will rise to the top.

The writer can show their personality:
In blog posts, the writer has more leeway to add in their voice and personality than other types of writing.

Blogs are a great form of mass communication:
You can help people, learn new things, entertain your audience—the possibilities are endless and amazing. Blogging opens up all of these to a very wide audience.

You can make money:

Get the right blog going and you can make a lot of money through advertising and sponsored posts.

It allows people to craft better thoughts:
Instead of reading haphazard, uneducated Facebook statuses, it’s much better to see people’s thought process in a well-written blog post.

You can establish a community:
Blogging allows you to connect with other individuals who share the same interests. Sharing ideas and opinions within your community helps establish yourself as a thought leader.

Good for SEO:
Keeping content on your site fresh and relevant, you can use your blog to boost the search engine ranking (SEO) of your site and your business.

It brings people back to your site:

If your blog is strong enough and updated regularly, people will come back looking for more and bring traffic back to your site as well.

It’s free:
It costs you a grand total of zero dollars to post to the blog, so if you have something to say, there’s nothing to stop you.

You can establish yourself as a thought leader:

A blog is a great place for your original thoughts, and it can be a wonderful way to show off your individuality. If people like your ideas, you can become a thought leader in your industry!

What else do you love about blogs? Let me know!
by Paul Bowley 22 December 2020
Christmas is already a time of loneliness for many so with the added pressures of the Tiers and the general anxiety of a very tiny light at the end of the tunnel being the vaccine please spare a moment to check on isolated relatives and people stuck in their homes offer any help you can safely.
We are all in this together and if there really is no-one to turn to please take note of these numbers there is always someone to talk to .

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
Website:   www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
Email: help@aamail.org
Tel no:     0800 9177 650

BEAT (Beating eating disorders)
Website: www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk
Helpline 0808 801 0677
Studentline: 0808 801 0811
Youth Line 0808 801 0711
One-one webchat www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/support-services/helplines/one-to-one

BEAUMONT SOCIETY (National self-help body for the Transgender community)
Website: www.beaumontsociety.org.uk

If you would like to talk to someone in confidence, telephone the Mindline TRANS+ Transgender Helpline on 0300 330 5468. Confidential support on Mondays and Fridays 8 pm – Midnight.

CHILDLINE
Website: www.childline.org.uk
Speak to a counsellor by calling 0800 1111 or via 1-2-1 chat  between 7.30 am and 3.30 am every day.

MIND (The Mental Health Charity)
Website: www.mind.org.uk
Tel no:   0300 123 3393

Mind Infoline is open 9 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday. Outside these hours you can:

  • call Samaritans  on 116 123 (UK-wide)
  • text SHOUT  to 85258 (UK-wide)
  • call C.A.L.L.  on 0800 132 737 (Wales only)

NHS Direct
Tel no: 111 however in the event of an emergency or life threatening situation still call 999.

NO PANIC (Anxiety Disorders)
Website: www.nopanic.org.uk
Tel no:  0300 772 9844

The No Panic Helpline operates between 10 am and 10 pm every day of the year and is staffed by trained volunteers.

During the night hours the crisis message is played. This is a recorded breathing exercise that can help you through a panic attack and help you learn diaphragmatic breathing. You can also access the crisis message 24hrs a day by calling 01952 680835.

NSPCC
Website: www.nspcc.org.uk
Tel no: 0808 800 5000
Under 18s should contact Childline on 0800 1111

PAPYRUS (Prevention of Young Suicide)
Website: www.papyrus-uk.org
Tel no: 0800 068 41 41
Open 9 am–12 am (midnight) every day of the year

RAPE CRISIS ENGLAND AND WALES
Website: rapecrisis.org.uk/
Tel: 0808 802 9999
Open between 12:00-14:30 and 19:00-21:30 every day of the year.

The National Helpline is provided by Rape Crisis South London. It offers confidential emotional support, information and referral details.

REFUGE
Website: www.refuge.org.uk
Freephone 24-Hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247
or visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk  (access live chat Mon-Fri 3-10pm)

SAMARITANS
Website:   www.samaritans.org
Tel no:    Freephone 116 123 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

SANELine
Website: www.sane.org.uk

Due to COVID, the previous SANEline number cannot operate at the moment but you can leave a message on 07984 967 708 giving your first name and a contact number, and one of their professionals or senior volunteers will call you back as soon as possible. You can also contact them through their Support Forum, Textcare and other services.

SHELTER (England & Scotland)
Website: www.shelter.org.uk
Tel no:   0808 800 4444 if:

  • you have nowhere to sleep, or might be homeless soon
  • you have somewhere to sleep, but nowhere to call home
  • you are/could be at risk of harm

The helpline is open weekdays from 9 am until 5 pm.

Calls are free from UK landlines and main mobile networks.

STONEWALL
Website: www.stonewall.org.uk
Infoline:  0800 050 20 20

SWITCHBOARD LGBT
Tel No:    0300 330 0630
Email: chris@switchboard.lgbt

VICTIM SUPPORT

Website:   www.victimsupport.org.uk
Tel no: 0808 1689 111

WOMEN’S AID FEDERATION
Website: womensaid.org.uk
Tel no: National Domestic Violence helpline 0808 2000 247
Offers live chat and email support: helpline@womensaid.org.uk


by Paul Bowley 4 September 2018

Men can also suffer abuse


MenCASA is a project aimed at signposting to gender-inclusive  counselling for primarily male victims of domestic abuse, domestic violence  or false accusation.

by Paul Bowley 4 January 2017
Some of us make our New Years resolutions on New Years eve and by the 3rd or 4th of January have already decided to forget them.
One thing that we need to remember is that we can change our lives and that Counselling and Psychotherapy can help.
Rather than it being a resolution maybe we need to see it as a part of creating a clean new self.
by Paul Bowley 6 September 2016
MindEd is a brilliant resource for professionals working with Children and Young people with a huge amount of good E-Learning modules about numerous developmental problems and mental health issues. 
A new initiative just released is a fantastic resource now for Families who are concerned about their children, it offers good guidance and information how best to support their child .
by Paul Bowley 5 September 2016
Sometimes life just feels too difficult that for some people the only option they believe is to take their own lives. 
Talking to the right person can sometimes offer the individual a safe and supportive place for them to work through what their hopelessness may be about.
The counselling directory has some great advice :
http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/help-someone-who-is-suicidal.html
This offers a range of ideas how to talk to a suicidal friend and some of the Myths around suicide.
If someone you know is struggling encourage them to seek help , GP ,  AMHS, Samaritans, A local Counsellor or Psychotherapist.
by Paul Bowley 15 August 2016
The white rabbit is always running to his next appointment always worrying he's late for something very important but never really gets anywhere. 
The Dog owner is worrying about what he needs to do what has happened and what might be.... but not enjoying the present moment .
The Dog has it right just looking out appreciating what is happening at that time.
The Owner's tendency is towards 'Auto Pilot' 
Mindfulness supports us to take Conscious Control of our thoughts so preventing this.

by Paul Bowley 15 August 2016

Mindfulness supports good Mental Health and is Scientifically proven to decrease Anxiety, Depression and increase positivity and happiness.
by Paul Bowley 15 August 2016
Following the closure of website services from Counselling Directory i have decided a new look was necessary
by Paul Bowley 15 August 2016
I have finally decided to take the plunge and add a blog to my site. I always wanted an easy way to share information with visitors and I’m super excited to start this journey. Keep coming back to my site and check for updates right here on the blog.