How I identified and developed my niche as Mental Health Awareness.

You might have come across this jargon, “Niche” often in the blogging world, and frequent questions like what is your niche? How to develop a niche?

A niche is nothing but targeting a particular area. In blogging niche is like your blog’s identity; people relate you with your niche. For example: If I write only about beauty products, I become a Beauty Blogger, If I write only about travel experience then I become a Travel Blogger.

A niche could be narrowed down further by being more specific as well. For example Organic beauty product review blog, South-India Travel blogger, or Thai-food Blogger.

Narrowing down to a particular area is a more focused way of writing and maintaining a blog and in the long run it becomes your identity and helps you when you plan to monetize your blog.

How I identified my niche?

Writing is one of the best things that happened to me or one of the best decisions I made for my second inning.

In my last post, Returning to work after a break , I tried to bust a myth by sharing my personal experience. My experience with my battling an illness, fighting depression, and fear of losing my identity.

We all need a second chance in our life, but most of the time we do not understand that no one gives us the power to change the circumstances we just have to take it.

Well, I took a chance, a second chance, and navigated myself towards another avenue. Something I loved doing. Something new and exciting. I took blogging into my stride and created my first ever personal blog at WordPress.

I had absolutely no idea of writing; I was and maybe I am still not much eloquent in English Language but yes I am a voracious reader and it helps me.

Connecting with people from different walks of life and sharing my views was the best part of blogging for me. I started writing personal experiences, stories against stereotypes, and societal stigma became a major part of my blog, an open diary blog it was.

Initially one year I just wrote whatever came into mind, any social issue or anything which disturbed me or needed some awareness. It was only in 2018; I took blogging very seriously.

Before that, my blog was just like my personal diary but with an online presence. Later I found myself writing mostly on self-help, self-awareness, and self-development topics.

I discovered my interest area, what we call as NICHE in the blogging world. I have closely seen people dealing with depression, Anxiety and Panic Attacks.

I have been through a lot of depressing feelings and I still face frequent episodes of anxiety and mood swings. I know exaclty how it feels to be in that pit.

[bctt tweet=”The best part was or still is, something inside me denies to everything negative, every impossibility and do not let me get trapped inside my inner demons.” username=”Virtual Siyahi”]

Why mental health or stress?

I learned to survive, and I wanted to help others to learn that art as well. I started writing more about it. I wanted anyone who was facing even a little of negative or low about themselves to quickly gain consciousness and get a hold of their life.

No, you cannot cross the line; it is too dark out there. You might get lost forever, I get chills when I write this but yes I know this and I understand Depression is for real, Mental Illness is for real and it needs a lot of awareness.

We live in a very ignorant society; people use people for their benefit. Say things which hurt them or break their spirits and then just forget about it as if nothing happened.

But the things they do or they say, leave a permanent scar on many people, not everyone can handle criticism or bad behaviour. Not everyone is strong from inside, they need a reminder that you can overcome it and your life is precious too.

I just wanted to be that reminder through my blog. I just wanted to be there for anyone who just wanted to be listened. And it worked. With over 100 of articles related to mental health, Stress and mindfulness, people started connecting with me.

Many of my readers wrote me emails and shared their personal tragedies; all they wanted was to be heard. Few friends also opened up with me by sharing their long lost hidden stories of hurt and disgust.

Just imagine how being an active and mindful listener could change so many lives. I preached nothing I didn’t practise or believed in, but yes I wanted every reader to take charge of their life because in the end it is between you and yourself only.

According to World Health Organisation 330 million people are suffering from Depression, that means every 4th person we meet is going through some or the other form of depression.

This is just not my niche;This is my idea of living, my means of spreading maximum awareness.If I have the power of a pen in my hand and I cannot use it for a good reason then it is as good as a waste of time for me and anybody who is reading my blog.

I wanted my readers to get something, derive some information. When a reader reads your blog that person should get some message in return as he/she gave a few minutes to your writing, to your idea.

I always write from my heart and perhaps that’s the reason I don’t think before writing and it has made me whatever I am today, A Mental Health Enthusiast or a promoter.

I also published a short ebook “26 Days 26 Ways for a Happier You” as an attempt to spread some Mental Health Awareness from my side.

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With this two years of my writing journey, I hope I have been able to strike a few chords, change some lives, help someone think in a different direction and inspired someone to take charge of their life.

Hope this post helps. Thank you, everyone for being there for me 🙂

Much love and gratitude

Priyanka Nair

#VirtualSiyahi