Sophia Fedorowicz recently started blogging and is helping Cochrane Common Mental Disorders (CCMD) get their new blog going. Sophia tells us why she blogs.
Initially, I got into blogging because I had something to say and there was nobody around me to say it to. I needed to find my people. It was terrifying at first because once you release something onto the internet, it is beyond your control. People could post whatever they like and criticise my words, criticise me. I was concerned that I would be exposed as a fraud or called out on something obvious I had missed. Was I ready to be a tiny fish in a gigantic pond? Fighting my imposter syndrome was tough, but I got my head down and seventeen drafts and twenty-three editing sessions later, submitted my first blog post, and the rest as they say, is history.
As a student, writing blog posts for dissemination sites has been a fantastic resource for me. It is a tool that can be used to sharpen critical thinking skills, it’s a way of networking, it’s a way to get your name out into the world and communicate with others who have similar interests. I have a calling to mental health research, so blogging for CCMD has been great for all the above. It has given me a depth of knowledge regarding methodology and areas within mental health that I may not otherwise of explored; this is endlessly useful to me on my Applied Research MSc course. I would encourage every student to try blogging; it’s great for silencing that pesky imposter syndrome.
Sophia Fedorowicz, December 2018
Sophia is currently studying for an MSc in Applied Research at Staffordshire University and her background is in Psychology. Sophia's main interests are in mental health, specifically social determinants, peer support and self-management. We are really enjoying working with Sophia and hope you enjoy her blogs.
Read one of Sophia's recent blogs on Psychological therapies for treatment-resistant depression in adults part of the Evidently Cochrane collection.
Sophia spent four weeks on elective at Cochrane UK during June 2018, during this time she was introduced to the CCMD team.