Archive for ‘post prompts’

August 5th, 2011

First Friday: August Post Prompts

by Amanda

If you’re look for an idea for something to write about this month, swing back to this post and customize one of these prompts! Feel free to use anywhere on the web be it your blog, your Facebook, or in video form. And, as always, if you’re inspired by a prompt and try it out in your health community – drop us a note and we’ll help you promote!

 

  1. Share a story about a time you were cared for by someone else. How did that feel? What did you appreciate most and what was the most challenging part? What do you wish your carer knew at the time?
  2. When have you cared for someone else? What did you struggle with and how did you find support for yourself? What can patients offer caregivers to make their caring easier or more effective? Any tips to offer?
  3. Care Package Post. If you were to receive a care package in the mail tomorrow – what would love to find inside? If you’ve made someone else a care package – what did you include?
  4. Advocating advice. Advocating for yourself is hard – even when you know so much about living with your health condition firsthand. How can others advocate for conditions they don’t have? Is that ok? Write about what they should and should not do and how would you suggest they join your cause.
  5. Parenting vs. caregiving – is there a difference? Why does society differentiate between caregivers of the elderly and parents of young children. Are parents given enough credit? Check out this post for more on this topic and share your thoughts in a post, video, or discussion.

 

July 8th, 2011

First Friday: July Post Prompts

by Amanda

We’re focusing on empowerment this month and what it means to support yourself as a person and as a leader. In supporting yourself and grounding yourself, you will lead your community by example. In line with our theme, our post prompts will center around standing up for yourself and modeling empowerment for others. It is my hope that these prompts will inspire you and, by utilizing them, remind you how great you are and how important you Health Activist work is.

So, if you’re searching for something to write about, post about, or just think about this month – here are some prompts for you. Just come back here, borrow one, and customize if you’d like.

 

  1. Think back to a time you felt truly connected, present, and secure in yourself. Where are you? What are your surroundings? How did you get here? Why do you feel this way? And, if you’d like to bring it back to the present – how can you bring yourself that feeling again?

  2. Stigma plays a huge role in misunderstanding health conditions and can threaten our own well-being and make our missions as Health Activists harder. What stigma is at the top of your list to correct? What would you tell a community member who asked your advice on addressing this stigma in their own life?

  3. It’s easy to compliment others, but harder to compliment yourself. Write down three qualities you have that makes you feel unique, special, and strong.

  4. For some reason, we find ourselves apologizing for expressing ourselves sometimes. When was the last time you said “I’m sorry” for something that you didn’t need to be sorry for? Part of being empowered means having conviction and being ready to stand by your beliefs. Share 5 things that you will not apologize for and reaffirm your commitment to them.

  5. Elaborate upon this month’s FTT – write about what it means to be “empowered” and how you define not only the word but the spirit it evokes. “To me, empowered means ___”

 

As always – if you get inspired and bring one of these prompts to your community, share a link so we can see where you went with it and help share your work!

 

 

June 3rd, 2011

First Friday: June Post Prompts

by Amanda

If you’re looking for some ideas on what to post about at any time this month – check here for a prompt to get your brain gears turning! Here are some ideas for you on our June theme of Health Technology. Feel free to tweak however you’d like:

 

  1. Health technology isn’t limited to medical devices; right now, iPads are being used by doctors and nurses … and patients alike for health information. Are you using one of the latest and greatest tech devices for your health?
  2. If you had the opportunity to design something tech-fabulous for your health condition, what would you create and what would it do? (Bonus points if you bust out Microsoft Paint and provide a picture of your dream machine!)
  3. Think about the ways that you connect with your community – Facebook, blogs, Twitter, meet ups in real life. What is missing from the health outreach methods you’re using? What would be the best bit of health technology to help you broaden your reach as a Health Activist?
  4. Do you think health technology is useful, or is it just another Internet buzzword? Do you think people are really using their smartphones for health? Are YOU? Talk about it!!
  5. Poetry time again? Don’t mind if I do! Time to break out your quill pen and write an Ode to An App. What’s your favorite health-related application, and do you dare to sing its praises in prose?

And check back every “First Friday” for five more prompts for you to consider, and customize. Bring them back to your communities and start a discussion, blog, or vlog about it. If one of the prompts sparks something awesome – check back in and leave a link – we’d love to see which direction you took it and give you some linky love in return!

 

May 6th, 2011

First Friday: May Post Prompts

by wegokerri

What, you didn’t have enough post prompts in April?

May is off to a nice and relaxing start, so don’t take these prompts as pressure.  Instead, they’re little appetizers for your ideas, helping you serve up an inspiring main course.  Here we go with the prompts for May!

 

  1. Everyone is talking about spring cleaning their homes, but maybe it’s time to spring clean your health.  Living with any kind of health condition can lead to a little bit of burnout, but now is an excellent time to dust off your good intentions and make those changes you’ve been thinking about.  How do you plan to spring clean your health?
  2. May is all about expanding your reach as a health activist. How are you reaching members of your health community now, and what’s on your ‘wish list’ for ways of reaching them in the future?
  3. There are a lot of social media tools available to help people connect, but there are a few that stand out in the pack: Facebook, blogs, Twitter, and video.  Are you using any of these tried-and-true methods of outreach, and how do you keep your message consistent across these different mediums?
  4. How’s this for a conversation starter?  “The thing that scares me most about social media and health is ______.”  How would you finish this thought?  How would your community finish it?
  5. And finally, you’ve heard that a picture speaks a thousand words.  How about letting a few photos tell the story of your post?  It’s a great visual way to get a few thousand words “written.”  What photos would you use to tell your health activist tale?

Check back every “First Friday” for five more prompts for you to consider, and customize. Bring them back to your communities and start a discussion, blog, or vlog about it. If one of the prompts sparks something awesome – check back in and leave a link – we’d love to see which direction you took it and give you some linky love in return!

March 4th, 2011

First Friday: March Post Prompts

by Amanda

It’s the first Friday of March so that mean’s we have some Post Prompts to share. Should you, at any time, run into that dreaded writer’s block or need a little something to get the hamster of your mind back on its wheel – visit this blog post and grab one of our prompts! They are perfect for blog-writing, discussion-starting, vlog-recording, and, if you’re very creative, a tweet or Facebook status.

1. What if you didn’t have social media as an organizing/outreach tool? Without the use of it, how would you continue to fulfill your role as a Health Activist?

2. What was your gateway moment into Health Activism? What was the desire/need/moment that made you first post in your community?

3. Hindsight is 20-20. Talk to a younger you (choose any age you like) and tell yourself something you wish you knew at the time. If you don’t want to look back – look forward. Talk to yourself in 5, 10, or 15 years.

4. How do you visualize/anthropomorphize your health condition? Describe it in detail. If you think of it more abstractly – challenge yourself and try to explain it in concrete images.

5. Your familiar with the nameless online avatar of the dark silhouette. But how do you feel about anonymity in activism? Does it weaken the message? Is it necessary to be open about who you are in order to be an effective leader or participant of a community?

These ideas are fun but they will be even better when you add your ideas and personality to the mix. And, hey  – if you are inspired by any of our posts tell us about it – we’d love to feature your post here on the blog and/or help you promote it and your individual Health Activist voice.

 

February 4th, 2011

First Friday: February Post Prompts

by wegokerri

Welcome to the First Friday of February!  It’s time to get your bloggy brains churning out the inspiring and influential content that Health Activists are known best for.  We here at the WEGO Health team have just the prompts to inspire you. This month we’ve chosen some prompts that align with our Chronic Conditions and Relationships theme!

Check out these content prompts for February and see what ones resonate for YOU:

    1. In your own online health communities, are you talking about the emotional impact of disease /condition management?
    2. Do you discuss your personal relationships with your readers and community members?  Do your readers share theirs with you?

    3. Do you think that your feelings about your own health impact how you share these emotions with others?

    4. How do you manage your own personal health and the “health” of your relationship?  Is it a tough balance?

    5. What’s the one thing about your health condition that you wish your loved ones better understood?

Just as we said last month, be sure to check back every “First Friday” for five more prompts for you to consider, and customize. Bring these ideas back to your communities and start a discussion, blog, or even set up that webcam and vlog about it. If one of the prompts sparks  something awesome – check back in and leave a link – we’d love to see which direction you took it and send WEGO Health blog readers your way!

January 7th, 2011

First Friday: January Post Prompts

by Amanda

As an awesome online health leader, creating content for your health community is your passion! But sometimes it can be challenging to come up with topics to go off of. Health Activists – never fear! WEGO Health is here to give you some post prompts.

Introducing our fun new feature: First Friday Post Prompts. Every first Friday of the month, we’ll be giving you some ideas to help inspire you to create that fantastic Health Activist content you are known for. If you happen to find yourself in that unpleasantly familiar blog-writing-rut at any time during this month, simply come back here to this post and borrow one of these five prompts to get your imagination going. I’ve found that sometimes the most fun (and surprisingly the best) writing can come from being assigned a topic. How does that sound?

Check out these content prompts for January and see what ones resonate for YOU:

1. Are you making your goals for 2011 S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive)? What are your Health Activist goals for 2011, and can you map them using this acronym?

2. It’s a new year, and a time for setting up new health habits. What’s the best tip you’ve ever received on setting and achieving a health goal? Were there words of advice that helped you make your goal a reality?

3. Nothing says “New Year” like needing a vacation from the busy holiday season. As a Health Activist, how do you help your community deal with getting back on track after taking a few weeks off from health management during the holidays?

4. January is a time for trying new things, and thankfully, there are a lot of tools available for Health Activists to help spread the word about their advocacy. Is there a communication tool (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr, YouTube, DailyBooth) that you’ve been itching to try but haven’t jumped in yet? Now the perfect time to try one out and share your experiences as you get rolling!

5. Photos are among the most effective sharing tools we have, as Health Activists. Are you willing to show your Health Activist face to the world? If you’d rather retain your anonymity, try sharing a photo of what life with your health condition is like. It could be the start of a great photo 365 project!

Check back every “First Friday” for five more prompts for you to consider, and customize. Bring them back to your communities and start a discussion, blog, or vlog about it. If one of the prompts sparks something awesome – check back in and leave a link – we’d love to see which direction you took it and give you some linky love in return!