Life Well Lived--Getting Happy

As part of their Life Well Lived series, BlogHer posed a really fun question: How does blogging, journaling, writing, and connecting online help to increase your happiness? When people find out I blog, they typically ask, "Why do you do it? Do you make good money?" This question always causes me to laugh! I initially went into blogging because I was hoping to find a way to make money while being a stay-at-home-mom. The money never materialized. I'm also no longer a stay-at-home-mom. I work at a pretty big internet company that keeps me pretty busy. Yet I still blog. Granted, I don't blog as much as I used to, but I still plug away.

The reason why I still do it is because I enjoy it. I find blogging to be therapeutic. When I have a horrific day, purging my thoughts onto the screen and hitting the "Publish" button makes me feel so much better. It often helps me to put things in perspective too.

What also surprised me the most about blogging was how social an activity is it. When I started, I pictured myself sitting at my computer and typing away while becoming very isolated. But blogging is actually not an isolating experience. You find other bloggers in your niche that go through the same things you do. You become each others support group. When I have met up with other bloggers in person, I'm always amazed at how close I feel to these women. I guess reading each others posts, which can be very personal and intimate can bring people together! As I'm writing this, I had just returned from a dinner with a group of about 20 Southern California bloggers. We had a blast talking about our blogs and our families. It was really fun!

Would I say blogging has increased my happiness? Hell ya! It hasn't increased my wallet size, but it definitely has been very fun to do. Please join me here to comment on what BlogHer's feature blogger has to say about how blogging has increased her happiness. Then, click over here to participate in the Life Well Lived Sweepstakes.