Today I interviewed Ronalds about the work he does on Black Student’s Mental Health Blog, & I wanted to find out a little bit about himself and how he got into the blogging and what his plans are.
Ronalds Social Media Links Are:
- Website: www.blackstudentsmentalhealth.org
- Twitter: @BlackstudentsMH
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/blackstudentsmh
Can you tell our readers about yourself and your blog?
My name is Ronalds Busulwa a Mental Health Practitioner, Therapist, and Mental Health Lecturer. I worked in the NHS for several years before moving into Higher Education. I am the founder of the Black Students Mental Health Blog. All my blogs are informed by my clinical experience and working with university students.
My blog offers Mental Health self-help support: Self-Help tips, Psychoeducation, Helplines, Blogs, Support services, Leaflets, Advice, signposting and other resources.
Describe how did you first get into blogging?
I was sending useful (or so I thought) articles about Mental Health Support for opportunities to get published but they all seemed not interested, they even never got back to me, and I was frustrated because I knew I had something valuable to say but none listened. I was tired of begging them, then it hit it me.
I am a newbie here, 2 months old to be specific. I’ve worked with students for several years, so I’ve got a good understanding of the stigma attached to mental health problems and how difficult it is to seek support. So, I wanted to make support more accessible from the comfort of their rooms. I know blogs are popular and are easily accessible on phones, tablets etc. This way Mental Health support can be sought discreetly.
Can you tell me some of your strengths that really helped you in blogging?
My passion is student mental health and that’s the fire that keeps me going. I love what I do. Even if one person is helped, I will have accomplished something. My values in life and my faith remain the battery that give me the energy.
How would you describe your blogging style?
Informative, conversational, easy to understand with a sprinkle of humour.
What do you think is the best service a blogger can provide to his readers?
Uniqueness, being genuine and human, and being open minded.
How do you manage time to run your blog efficiently?
Difficult at times but I try to be well organised, use of a timetable works for me.
How do you want to improve yourself in the next year?
There’s a lot I don’t know about blogging, I’d like to improve my understanding of how it works, SEO, more networking to reach a wider audience, learn all the blogging hacks.
What was your greatest failure and what did you learn from that?
I once sung the Happy Birthday song for my little nephew and his little friends, the moment I started singing they all started crying – that’s when the penny dropped. I can’t sing.The other one is when I tried singing but people wondered what key I was singing in, I told them ‘House key’.
Tell me about your proudest blogging achievement?
When it went live, when I could actually see it and share it with others, when I received great feedback from those who’ve used the blog.
Who has impacted you most in blogging and how?
Before I started, in the midst of all the rejection of my blogs I sent Dennis of @wearepsychreg a blog which he quickly published and gave me great feedback, and I admired what he’s done with his blog, so that was motivation to start my blog.
What is your greatest achievement outside of blogging?
When the University of Huddersfield and London South Bank University added my blog as a Mental Health Resource for their students.
What do you do in your spare time?
I play instruments, keyboard, and Bass guitar. I run and ride a bike and like football.
Where would you like to be in the blogging world five years from now?
More Universities or organisations using it as a Mental Health Resource alongside others, reaching a wider audience, doing it as a part time job perhaps, having more resources e.g podcasts, videos, guest bloggers etc.
What was the most challenging moment in your blogging journey so far?
Oh, I woke one morning, and my website had disappeared, I could not see anything, was panicking, someone asked me for a lot of money to fix it but I contacted WordPress and they just restored everything
Can you name some of your favourite bloggers and explain why they are your favourites?
Vanessa of @wellbeingmedia has been super kind to me, given me valuable tips. Rea of @ReaBaresHerSoul and @UnwantedLife_Me have been kind and offered great tips. They all seem genuinely nice; I admire what they have all achieved in the blogging world. I like that you message them for advice, and they respond.
Anything else you would like the readers to know?
The support the blog offers is for everyone. The reason I called it Black Students Mental Health is that when I worked as Mental Health Advisor for students, black students rarely sought support in a university which they were well represented within the student population. If the blog’s name encourages some to seek support that would be great.
Thank you Ronalds for filling out the questions!
Other Blogger Q&A’s:
Thanks a lot for the opportunity Megan, thanks for letting me share my world with others, very appreciated. I enjoyed that.
Amazing interview! Loved reading more about Ron and how his blog came around! It’s definitely very inspiring.