5 Ways to Connect With Others on The Mighty

If you’re new to The Mighty, we’re happy you’ve joined us!  The Mighty is all about community and connection, and if you’re looking to bond with people who live with the same health conditions or have similar circumstances as yours, there are plenty of ways to get started.  Our site has a variety of features that can help you seek out support and validation, celebrate your personal victories and connect with others.  Here are five ways to get involved in The Mighty’s community.

1. Post Thoughts on The Mighty.

The Mighty has a “Thoughts” feature that allows all contributors with an account on the site to post thoughts about their health conditions or personal lives directly to the site.  These Thoughts are visible to everyone who reads The Mighty, which allows for plenty of readers to see your Thought and respond.  If you want your Thought to be visible to more members of the community, add hashtags that relate to your post, whether they’re geared towards a specific condition (i.e. #BPD), a group of people (i.e. #ActuallyAustistic) or a Mighty-created hashtag (i.e. #DistractMe, #CheckInWithMe or #CheerMeOn). Hashtagging your Thoughts can help you express what you need most in any given moment and allow other Mighties the opportunity to listen to you and chime in with their own thoughts and experiences.  To post a Thought, click the “pen” icon, choose your audience and write out your Thought, selecting any hashtags you want to use.

2. Ask Questions to The Mighty’s community.

Similar to the “Thoughts” feature, The Mighty also gives users the opportunity to ask fellow Mighties “Questions.”  Questions allow you to ask anything you want to know about your symptoms, others’ experiences with their conditions or life outside of The Mighty.  If you want your Question to be visible to a wider audience, be sure to use hashtags that relate to the topic of your question, which will ultimately help you direct your Question to the people and communities who could help you the most.  Remember that The Mighty’s community are largely not professionals, so if your Question is about particularly concerning symptoms, consult a medical doctor or specialist in order to receive formal answers.

3. Write Stories for The Mighty.

Sharing health stories has always been at the heart of The Mighty, and here at The Mighty, we believe that everyone’s personal experiences with health are valuable and deserve to be heard.  If you’ve read stories on The Mighty and feel inspired to write your own, learn how to submit your story on the How to Share Your Story on The Mighty page.  If your first submission is selected for publication, you will gain access to the Contributor Portal, where you can easily submit future stories. Remember that Mighty stories are typically much longer than the quick updates users provide in Thought or Question format, and be sure to read The Mighty’s editorial guidelines before you submit your story so you know what our editors are looking for.  You’ll likely hear whether or not your story has been selected for publication about a month after you submit it.

4. Join Communities on The Mighty.

In addition to Thoughts, Questions, and stories, The Mighty is also home to a wide variety of Communities geared towards people with specific health conditions, identities and interests.  If you’ve come to The Mighty to seek out like-minded people, joining Communities can help you find a deeper sense of connection and belonging.  Each community is overseen by a Community Leader, who ensures their Community is a safe space that amplifies all members’ voices.  To find Communities that may interest you, go to the Groups tab, and select “Explore.”  You’ll receive a list of popular Communities that may reflect your health conditions and interests.  Some Communities may require you to answer a few simple questions before your membership is approved, while others are accessible to you as soon as you join.  Once you’re a Community member, you can share on-topic life updates, questions and experiences and receive support from fellow members.

5. Follow contributors, topics or hashtags on The Mighty that resonate with you.

If you’ve come to The Mighty to read or share about specific health conditions or life circumstances, then following contributors, topics or hashtags could give you exactly what you’re looking for.  Each contributor’s profile has a “Follow” button, which allows anyone with a Mighty account to prioritize their stories in a personalized news feed.  All health topics have “Follow” buttons as well, and if you choose to follow a topic, you’ll see Thoughts, Questions and stories related to that topic in your newsfeed.  You can also choose to follow The Mighty’s most popular hashtags (related to a condition or on other topics) so that you don’t miss any of the action on popular Thoughts and Questions.  Following the topics and hashtags that interest you most ensures that you’ll more easily find what you need on The Mighty!