6) Ensuring Best Writing Practices
After understanding the general requirements to keep in mind whilst submitting your content articles for 7 Cups publication, this discussion highlights some general writing tips to keep in mind when writing content that relates to mental health.
Things to Do:
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Make sure the article is empathetic, kind, helpful & informative (it fulfills the reader who found it), empowering. Replace mental “illness” or “disease” with “condition” or “issue” and soften any other mental health stigma language that might pop up. This helps ensure that your tone is supportive.
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Think of story ideas that will be sharable in social media
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Be concise
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Be conversational and accessible in your writing
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Back up statements with research or facts if applicable (cite sources) - try to confirm facts by ensuring at least 2 different sources mentioning them.
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Include expert quotes and insights -- you can reach out to a psychologist or expert about your story and offer a quote and link to their practice for the collaboration. Make sure their title/expertise is attributed in the article
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Be thorough, don’t gloss over specifics
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Give the reader empathy and hope
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Put yourself in the reader’s shoes: ask yourself what they need out of reading your piece and then deliver that
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Try to combine personal experiences with expert insight to strengthen your piece.
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Consider including friends and family members of people impacted by your topic in your audience.
For more tips on reporting mental health conditions and choosing words carefully, read the American Psychiatric Association’s article here
Other Tips:
The following are general guidelines to help find facts, help link things with 7 Cups as well as outreaching tips for personal stories and expert insight:
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Always try to hyperlink some of your main sources.
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Use authentic reporting websites such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization, or American Psychological Association, etc. for facts and up-to-date statistics. (Can be hyperlinked as mentioned above)
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Use Google Scholar to search for relevant research work. Abstracts usually summarize research findings.
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When outlining your article, consider asking yourself which information and what type of information can be added as a priority. For example, an article about mental health during the pandemic would likely report authentic global statistics and could use published research information.
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When reviewing other resources that cover your topic or something close to it, always ask yourself what can help enhance that available content. How can you ensure you are providing a unique take on the topic? Consider thinking about what is missing that could be worth mentioning.
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7 Cups has lots of free services, including available self-help guides, subcommunities with forums, and other areas - generally, editorial assistants at 7 Cups help backlink to these resources, but you are welcome to directly mention them if it applies, for instance, mentioning how Sharing Circles can help users cope with loneliness or the lack of support in their daily lives.
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Outreaching for both personal or expert quotes can be done via social media, contact forms of blog posts, or even email considering which information is available. You are welcome to PM @SoulfullyAButterfly if you think a 7 Cups Expert can help provide you the quote or required insight.
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When outreaching for personal stories, introduce yourself and 7 Cups and explain your article topic briefly, and why you think their personal experience could help. Share how you can back-link (link back) to the person’s blog or other resources if they would like that in return for sharing their quote. Ensure that you ask them if they would like their name to be disclosed, or if they would like a pseudonym. Finally, let them know you will share the final published version so they can also share it with their acquaintances.
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When requiring an expert quote, use the same procedure discussed, but consider asking for the expert’s availability. Mention how the expert’s work can aid your write-up and any questions you have. Ask for the expert’s professional practice page link and if they are interested, mention how they can have a published expert profile at 7 Cups (you can CC ayesha@7cups.com if needed).
Things To Avoid:
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The overuse of cliches or corny language
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Making it overly formal or using references most wouldn’t understand
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Using extraneous words/phrases. For example, you don’t have to write, “it’s important to…” If you’re writing it, the reader will assume it’s important. Unless, of course, it really is a surprise that this piece of advice is important - in which case say that
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Forgetting to explain the “why”
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Repeating the same word or phrase often (unless intentional, i.e. in an article about a mantra you might repeat the mantra several times)
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Overusing exclamation points
Activity
Using the information you just learned, write a paragraph (minimum of 100 words) for the article topic “Coping with Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic” - as this is only a paragraph and NOT the complete article, state a brief heading which will inform the reader whether your paragraph is about a general introduction or something more specific. Ensure your paragraph contains facts. Please note that you are to mention your sources too, as well as a link to at least one source within the paragraph.
Bonus: Consider using previous discussions to research and use keywords.
Additionally, reply to at least one other student and highlight the strengths of their work as well as areas for improvement.
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This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here
@SoulfullyAButterfly
I really enjoyed working on this one! Thanks for the lovely prompt, Soul 💜
Coping with Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Effects of the Pandemic on Students
Students play a pivotal role in strengthening our society. Their youthfulness and passion are what makes them capable of changing the world. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health of the students has been negatively influenced. And this led to a very concerningly noticeable academic downfall too. As a result of the survey conducted on 195 students, we found that 91% reported being adversely impacted by the outbreak. 71% of them experienced heightened anxiety and stress due to the, 89% said that they've been having a hard time concentrating, 86% underwent disturbed sleep patterns, about 86% highlighted decreased social interactions, and 82% voice their increased academic concerns. In another survey conducted by YoungMinds, we saw that 26% of 2111 youngsters were unable to access mental health support during this global crisis. Going by the statistics, it becomes easy to figure out that this outbreak has taken a severe toll on our students. There are quite a few reasons we can pinpoint here for the same: Loneliness due to lack of social interaction because of a purely online mode of education, stricken by parental unemployment, fear and worry for their well-being and of loved ones, and the list goes on. But how to support the very future of our society? We can support them by being there for them and listening to them. Giving them a chance to talk and explore the situation further can help them cope better. A few other things that can help are: Engaging in little self-care activities like journalling, painting, creative writing, and more, regularly, learning a new skill, joining online communities, schools and colleges taking measures to support the students better by making their academic schedule more flexible and organized as per realistic standards, conducting mental-health awareness online events for students, and many more. As they say, hope is the last thing ever lost. We're going through a tough time, but there's always hope for a better tomorrow! Let's stay strong, support each other, and we shall make it through together!
References:
Coping with loneliness during the Covid-19 Pandemic
How to fight loneliness during covid-19
we understand that loneliness can affect anyone at any time especially during the covid-19 pandemic , i can feel that you miss hanging out with friends , going to the gym and iteracting with people , but there's some advantages of the current situation .
first of all during this times we got closer to our family or we can say the people we live with , we knew their importance in our lives and we do value them more
secondly , when we got more respect for self-care and time management by taking care of our diet , exercise and sleep we knew the value of our physical health and the importance of taking care of ourselves
besides , being in a close relationship with the social world , you can make new friends and learn new cultures and live some new experiences
Also , you might focus more on yourself and set for new goals , for example you can learn a new languages or gain some skills
During covid-19 quarantine i became closer to my friends by chatting with them via social media , i practiced yoga and i took some french classes online , i felt so proud of myself and honestly i liked so much this experience
these ideas are inspired from this this article i discovered , check it it might help you to think more positively
https://globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12992-021-00661-z
@optimisticMoment4139
I really like how you mentioned that despite the isolation from the outside world, we are able to build better connections with the people that we live with. This is very important to note as we often see the worst and not be aware of the delightful things. You pointed out many pros of the pandemic which is very comforting and thought-provoking.
I think changing the title can make this response better! The title "How to fight loneliness during covid-19" made me think that strategies to cope with loneliness would be mentioned, but it wasn't really discussed in the paragraph.
@optimisticMoment4139
Nice paragraph! The tone is empathetic, conversational, and sharing ideas to continue to find opportunities in an unfortunate situation.
Some of the constructive feedback for your future writings (no need for revision) are:
- Please use a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence.
- Please consider removing space before punctuation.
- The pronoun I, always capitalized.
The heading looks excellent! SEO friendly and informed the reader that it is a tips-sharing paragraph. Well done! ⭐⭐⭐
ouiCherie - CDM Mentor. Feel free to PM for support and information during your CDM Program
Using the information you just learned, write a paragraph (minimum of 100 words) for the article topic “Coping with Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic”
What can we do when feeling lonely during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
The pandemic is hard, meetings with friends and family members are restricted, many activities are cancelled due to the pandemic as well. The feeling of loneliness is different than before, mixed with fear and frustration, it can get overwhelming at times and I totally understand that. Now here’s the question, how can we cope with loneliness? Before anything else, I think the main reason for the development of loneliness during COVID is that we are not able to interact with people as often as we would like. A solution to that is a video conference! According to MedicalNewsToday: 11 ways video calls may affect mental health, face-to-face discussions are said to be very effective when it comes to combating the feeling of isolation! Another cause of loneliness that is worth mentioning is the fact that when we are free, our minds begin to wonder. To prevent that, doing things that we like or that are meaningful can be a great distraction from the negative thoughts, self discovery also begins here!
Feel free to learn more about it:
How to Cope With Loneliness During the Coronavirus Pandemic
What you can do if you feel lonely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
@29amy A very informative paragraph with lots of links that prove you did your research!
@29amy
Nice paragraph! The tone is empathetic, stating some relatable reasons.
Some of the constructive feedback for your future writings (no need for revision) are:
No major grammatical issue. However, you can consider some writing improvements:
- To add relevant punctuation in a complex sentence. For example, "many activities are canceled due to the pandemic, as well."
- Consider rephrasing some words to improve conciseness. For example, we are not able to → we can not.
- Consider using proper capitalization for the heading: What can we do when feeling lonely during the COVID-19 Pandemic? → What Can We Do When Feeling Lonely During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Overall, the paragraph looks great and informs the reader about the paragraph's content. Well done! ⭐⭐⭐
ouiCherie - CDM Mentor. Feel free to PM for support and information during your CDM Program
@29amy
I really like how you were conversational and inviting here. It's also neat how you included 7Cups.com resources here. Just a few minor grammatical issues and it'd go from great to awesome.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
Identifying the reasons why you feel lonely
As someone who joined 7 cups because I was feeling extremely lonely during the pandemic, I understand the sadness and anxiety that might come with it, which is definitely not a fun thing to go through. While you might feel lonely, you’re definitely not alone! According to a survey of UK adults in late November 2020 one in four (24%) adults in the UK said they had feelings of loneliness in the previous two weeks. That being said, before learning how to cope with loneliness, it is important to set aside some time to recognize what causes these feelings. Perhaps you feel as though you’re “suffocating” during lockdown because you’re unable to go out and you’re constantly in the same environment? Perhaps you feel love-starved because you’re unable to physically see your loved ones? These are all very valid reasons and you might want to write it down in a journal for easy reference before you move onto combating loneliness.
@bubblingSea6361 really nice paragraph! i liked reading it :)
@bubblingSea6361 i think that a way you could improve is by separating each topic for the paragraph :o while it doesn't have to do with your writing or your information, it is something that could be more helpful to the eye and could help others find the information they're searching for more easily 😊
Anxiety and COVID
During the pandemic, it has been noticed that people feel more anxious. The news, the media, and so on tend to overanalyze situations such as this one, that it makes many of us feel overwhelmed and even afraid. That is, because by overanalyzing such topics, it makes people feel unable to withdraw from these topics which makes them feel 'trapped' in this overload of information on a daily basis.
Multiple studies have even shown that the prevalence of stress is obtained as 29,6%, and the prevalence of anxiety as 31,9%.
In this article, there are many options to choose from to practice self-care during this pandemic. Some of them could be to:
Limit your media intake of COVID coverage. Of course, this doesn't limit you from keeping yourself informed of the pandemic in general. But it is best to avoid mindlessly spending time on the internet absorbing this pessimism coming from the media.
Maintain a schedule or routine. Keeping that routine flexible is understandable given the fluid circumstances, but avoiding, for example the temptation to often sleep in every morning could be helpful, as it leads to very often making us feel even more drained.
Practice daily gratitude. Research has shown that the balance of positive and negative emotions consistently predicts our well-being. Positive emotions such as joy and love widen our perception of sensation and depth of thought. A way to highlight these emotions is by triggering gratitude.
@KateDoskocilova Nicely written article. It sounds like the way you describe the news and media as “overanalyzing” is more of an opinion than a fact - and I notice that you use the word twice at the beginning. To ensure that people don’t take this as an opinion or criticism of the news and media, I’d share a fact to support this. Otherwise, I enjoyed the rest of your article!
@SoulfullyAButterfly
Gentle Ways to Cope with Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has left many people feeling abandoned and alone. When we feel this deeply, it is not uncommon to experience abandonment issues, anxiety disorders, and depression. Unfortunately, according to Turhan Canli’s article, How loneliness can make you sick from apa.org, if these feelings of abandonment and loneliness aren’t reduced, longitudinal studies predict a cognitive decline in an individual. If you notice that your feelings are affecting your day-to-day activity, it may be a sign to prioritize your mental health. For more ways to cope with loneliness, read Simran Singh Simran’s article, I'm Lonely, What do I Do? Coping With and Conquering Loneliness: https://www.7cups.com/experts/article/im-lonely-what-do-i-do-coping-with-loneliness
Loneliness is Real
Are you feeling lonelier today than you have ever felt before? Do you wish that social distancing wasn’t a thing and we could all be back together again? Would you like to turn back the clock a few years when parties weren’t something to worry about but to enjoy?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you should know that you’re not alone. According to one study that was conducted by Medical News Today, about 65% of their participants reported feeling lonelier since the beginning of the pandemic. Unfortunately, loneliness is a reality today and we need to learn how to live with it.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
Whether you are in the pro-vaccine or the anti-vaccine group, doesn’t everyone want to return back to normality? Social loneliness represents the lack of a social network that can give a sense of belonging which one would get from groups or being part of a community whilst emotional loneliness refers to the lack of attachment figures in our lives. Do you feel lonely socially or emotionally? Research in a journal article titled, “ Young adults’ coping strategies against loneliness during the COVID-19-related quarantine in Greece'' has shown that the difference in which males and females cope with loneliness during COVID-19 with Greek females having a significantly greater tendency to be open about their thoughts and feelings with others and less likely to turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as alcohol as opposed to Greek males. Qualitative research which was mainly on female’s in the UK highlighted that missing physical touch from loved ones (e.g. hugs) and feeling unsatisfied with digital interaction (“You don’t have the visual cue of ‘Am I going too far, can- are they okay if I say this?”) can result in seeking reconnection (e.g. planning phone calls with other people) as a way of coping with any emotional distress.
In the age of the COVID-19, it's natural to feel lost, confused and lonely during these times with many unfortunate things happening like racism, bereavement, lack of social support, eating disorders and self-harm as unhealthy coping mechanisms used, self-soothing techniques such as Headspace, Calm, Breathe, Progressive Muscle Relaxation and music are ways to treat yourself.
Know you are doing the best you can. We are with you in this fight to feel good.
@GoldenRuleJG Communication as a Coping Strategy for COVID-19 Related Illness
sorry all - missed the heading
@GoldenRuleJG
I enjoyed how compassionate you come off your writing.
I liked how you were able to put the links in the text. Well done.
Personally, I'd recommend a clear summary.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
Communication as a Coping Strategy for COVID-19 Related Illness
Whether you are in the pro-vaccine or the anti-vaccine group, doesn’t everyone want to return back to normality? Social loneliness represents the lack of a social network that can give a sense of belonging which one would get from groups or being part of a community whilst emotional loneliness refers to the lack of attachment figures in our lives. Do you feel lonely socially or emotionally? Research in a journal article titled, “ Young adults’ coping strategies against loneliness during the COVID-19-related quarantine in Greece'' has shown that the difference in which males and females cope with loneliness during COVID-19 with Greek females having a significantly greater tendency to be open about their thoughts and feelings with others and less likely to turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as alcohol as opposed to Greek males. Qualitative research which was mainly on female’s in the UK highlighted that missing physical touch from loved ones (e.g. hugs) and feeling unsatisfied with digital interaction (“You don’t have the visual cue of ‘Am I going too far, can- are they okay if I say this?”) can result in seeking reconnection (e.g. planning phone calls with other people) as a way of coping with any emotional distress.
In the age of the COVID-19, it's natural to feel lost, confused and lonely during these times with many unfortunate things happening like racism, bereavement, lack of social support, eating disorders and self-harm as unhealthy coping mechanisms used, self-soothing techniques such as Headspace, Calm, Breathe, Progressive Muscle Relaxation and music are ways to treat yourself.
Know you are doing the best you can. We are with you in this fight to feel good.
@GoldenRuleJG
Hi! I really liked your sample! I too am a big fan of the meditation apps that you mentioned such as calm and headspace, I think it can really help someone to develop a better relationship with themselves.
You have a nice writing style that I feel really unites people, especially in your last paragraph, it really spoke to me.
@Womerz @GoldenruleJG
Perhaps for some feedback, you could expand more on the uses of meditation and the other resources you mentioned.
@Womerz That’s so sweet! Thanks for your feedback 😊
@GoldenRuleJG
Strengths: You have included a lot of information on how different people from different cultures have been coping during the pandemic. It is interesting to read and important to know so that measures can be taken to help these people individually.
Areas for improvement: Your article is of a high standard so it was hard to find any areas for improvement; however, I think you could break down some of your longer sentences with commas to make them a bit more readable.
Great job and a good read.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
Coping with Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Young Adults Seeing Loneliness In Epidemic Amounts During Covid-19
Youth of America have been highly susceptible to self-isolation amid the Coronavirus. A drastic change to purely remote learning has shifted the way young adults communicate with one another. The Loneliness Index states, “Younger generations are lonelier than older generations. Nearly eight in 10 Gen Zers (79%) and seven in 10 millennials (71%) are lonely, vs. half of boomers (50%).” Cigna_National_Loneliness_Survey
As a nation, how should we respond? Hope may lie within art therapy. Jeremy Nobel of the Center for Primary Care at Harvard Medical School, where he teaches a course on loneliness and public health., who recently founded The UnLonely Project - The Foundation for Art & Healing (artandhealing.org) and has responded to the pandemic with a “Stuck at Home (together)” website to provide free, arts-based support for individuals battling isolation, said that the creative arts, have been shown to have remarkable health effects.
Art gives a person a sense of accomplishment. Art inspires us toward achieving higher goals. It gives a sense of empowerment by spreading confidence to the artist. Last, it connects individuals, helping them to develop a sense of belonging and togetherness. Each skill helps society find peace and curve loneliness and self-isolation. We’ll find hope through Art.
UnLonely Project - The Foundation for Art & Healing (artandhealing.org)
Cigna_National_Loneliness_Survey.pdf (chapmaninstitute.com)
-Informative, concise, and well backed up with research and statistics that helped give a better understanding of the situation
-Provided a useful resource.
-An encouraging and hopeful tone at the end.
Well done!💛