2) Community Questions and Answers - The Basis of Mental Health Awareness and Support
As previously introduced, the Questions and Answers Pages at 7 Cups offer a wide range of quality-based answers to common mental health questions
Questions and Answers are available for 38 main categories, ranging from General Mental Health, Disabilities, Managing Emotions, Loneliness, Grief, Recovery, Student Life, Work Stress, and many more!
Through this directory of available knowledge, awareness, and support, 7 Cups is equipped with answers to the common questions and concerns people have. Most of these Questions and Answers are featured in search engine results due to the value of the content they contain.
The main community Questions and Answers Page offers a recent questions section as well as a section containing the most answered questions.
All 7 Cups users are invited to search for or ask new questions through the main page. Community users can also participate in this area by submitting their answers, which are reviewed by a team for quality and other important requirements.
Through this discussion, we will discuss the basic requirements needed to research as well as write quality answers for the Question and Answer Pages. Additionally, we will optimize the drafted answers in light of certain guidelines.
(i) Basic Research and Writing Requirements: When writing answers to community questions, keep in mind these tips:
You need to write a minimum of 150 characters and 100 words.
If research is needed to guide your answer, consider only learning about the topic and avoid direct copy/pasting researched tips, advice, or information.
Consider verifying the information or facts through at least 2 reliable sources.
When researching possible answers or things the person can benefit from, consider their circumstances and if the tip is do-able and generally applicable.
Avoid plagiarism.
Use professional and appropriate language.
If comfortable, you can add a personal anecdote to help add meaning to your answer. However, avoid turning the answer to just your account or an entire focus on your experience.
Be empathetic and consider using active listening skills to help not only answer their question but their feelings - this adds connection and meaning to your answer, as well as identifies understanding, which can lead to trust.
Answers should be related to the question and must contain tips or approaches to help deal with the question/situation instead of vague responses, even if positive.
7 Cups is based on avoiding direct advice, this is because we do not know the complete scenario or situation a person may be facing. Keeping that in mind, avoid giving answers that provide one possible “solution” - a good tip is to consider encompassing all possible outcomes or more than one thing the person can try.
(ii) Ensuring Optimized Answers: Although the above requirements and tips help deliver a great answer, further optimization of drafted answers can help ensure their quality.
At 7 Cups, the Content Team uses researched and identified important keywords to guide their research and the writing process to result in optimized content as answers to community questions. In this regard, the basic tips/requirements involved are:
Ensure answers have at least 8 to 10 sentences.
Ensure the usage/incorporation of the maximum number or all of the provided keywords that can relate to the topic.
What are Keywords?
Generally, keywords can be thought of as terms or phrases that describe a piece of content. Related keywords are supporting keywords that can help further describe or expand on that initial content. For example, for the keyword “anxiety”, related keywords can be “anxiety symptoms” or “anxiety treatments”.
Keywords help with search engine marketing and hence are an important part of SEO strategies. A simple strategy to find keywords is to look for Google Related Searches. These related searches are searches that relate to your term. For instance, a Google Related Search for “anxiety symptoms” is “what is anxiety” - using this insight, you can consider including this phrase alongside a brief category of your content outline to help strengthen the optimization of your content.
For other free tools to help with keyword research, you can visit this external link.
How to Use AI/ChatGPT for Keyword Research
Note: This method has its limitations but can help us when we are new to a topic we are writing about or need new ideas/angles for existing knowledge. Here are a few prompts:
- For very basic information about the topic: "List the most popular keywords related to X"
- For specific keyword phrases: "List the top 5 most popular long tail keywords for the topic X"
- To explore sub-topics within your article or for new articles: "What are the most popular sub-topics for X topic?" You can also give it a sub-topic you have already outlined for more specificity.
For further exploration on how to best make use of AI tools for keyword research/planning read this article.
Activity
Review this Sample Optimized Answer:
Question: How do paper bags help with panic attacks?
Provided Keywords: asthma attack, heart attacks, asthma, problems, brown paper bag, medical conditions, hyperventilation syndrome, mouth, respiratory alkalosis, common causes, chest pain, benefit, stress, medications
Approved, Optimized Answer:
While panic attacks might mimic the symptoms of heart attacks, they can be caused by several other problems and medical conditions. These include feeling stressed or facing medical conditions such as asthma attacks, hyperventilation syndrome, or even respiratory alkalosis. Although the common causes may differ, common symptoms include chest pain. Deep breathing through the mouth or by using a brown paper bag has its benefits, as it aids in the restoration of the loss of carbon dioxide in the blood during the panic attack.
Notes: The question was general, requiring general research-based knowledge on the process of using paper bags for panic attacks. As the keywords were essentially covered, note that this answer does not have 8-10 sentences, but further supporting information or even a personal anecdote can be added.
AI based Research: Prompt used "I am working on writing a supportive answer to the mental health question "how do paper bags help with anxiety". what are some popular keywords i can use to help" Responses: Core Keywords: Paper bag breathing, Anxiety relief technique, Panic attack help, Calm breathing exercises, Hyperventilation treatment, Grounding techniques for anxiety, Controlled breathing for stress. Long-Tail Keywords (More Specific & Conversational): Best ways to calm down during an anxiety attack. Related Psychological & Physiological Terms: Autonomic nervous system and panic attacks.
The following activity will help you put your attained knowledge to practice. Please write an optimized answer to the following community question, in light of the provided keywords as well as your own keyword research (either manually or using AI). In addition, you are required to reply to at least one other student’s answer by identifying at least 3 strengths (things done correctly as per discussed guidelines) as well as at least 1 tip for improving the answer. When responding to this post, share how your own keyword research went and what your own keywords were.
Note: You are welcome to click the question link and submit your written answer for community publication once done as this is an existing question!
Please do not forget to personally save your activity answers as well as your reply to another user’s answer (recommended on Google Doc or other means) as you will be asked to share this at a later date.
Question: What to do when you feel you are not good enough for someone?
Provided Keywords: parents, partner, self-esteem, social media, self-worth, good news, best way, first step, human beings, children, therapy, self-love, family members, better person, good time, good luck, inner critic, self-doubt, negative self-talk, real reason, whole life, amazing person, self-confidence, voice, right thing, healthy relationship, great things, information, communication, end of the day
Bonus: Want to put your knowledge to test? Consider joining the Question and Answer (Q&A) Approval Team here and earn cheers for helping approve community answer submissions. You will be using the above knowledge as well as reminders on what makes a good answer. For more information, click here
@SoulfullyAButterfly
As human beings, it is normal to experience struggles with self doubt and negative self talk. However, we need to recognize that a lot of these thoughts aren't real and it comes from inner critic.
A way we can help ourselves is by understanding why we feel this way in the first place. Could it be from a traumatic past experience? Always comparing ourselves to others? Or could it be pressure to reach certain expectations by parents or peers? Self love goes a long way, even if it's small.
Practicing self worth takes time, so we should remind ourselves that we are enough. We can start by appreciating the great things we've achieved, or journaling about how we feel.
At the end of the day, these negative thoughts don't define us. We need to remind ourselves that we deserve as much love as anyone else.
@ipoopcats
This is beautifully written! 🌿 It has a supportive, compassionate tone that’s perfect for a mental health awareness post or blog.
@SoulfullyAButterfly My answer is regarding this question...
How can I trust people?
Keywords: trust, betrayal, trusting people
Answer: It takes time to trust people in the long run. While it takes time to heal from betrayal as we feel vulnerable to trust people again. But it's okay to be cautious. There are also good people out there so it’s not always difficult to trust. We just need to trust our gut and be safe at the same time.
It’s okay to have emotional boundaries but when we feel safe near someone we can trust them. We can trust someone who is honest and gives us their time and listens patiently.
Trusting someone is a slow but continuous process. We build trust eventually. But if it is about an immediate response we should trust our gut feeling before trusting someone.
@Tuliphealing
This response give a clear, thoughtful and well-examined analysis of the challenges that surrounds around trust, betrayal, and rebuilding relationships. The post emphasizes that trust is not immediate but develops slowly through honesty, patience, and care. The post strikes a balance between caution and hope. It will remind us that while betrayal makes us feel vulnerable, not everyone around us will hurt us. It not only emphasizes the importance of emotional boundaries as a tool for healthier relationships, but it also highlights trusting one’s intuition as a crucial guide.
In conclusion, this supports a compassionate and realistic approach to rebuilding trust in individuals and everyone else around us.
@ScorpiaD Thank you 😊
@SoulfullyAButterfly First of all, I would like to know where is that question coming from?? Is it their intrusive thoughts or someone made them question their worth? Reminding someone that we are all still a work in progress is a good start. Knowing oneself better, loving the goodness and accepting the flaws is the key to self awareness. Stop what people try to tell you who you are and what you cannot be. It is important that we will not be critical with our own self--instead giving time to to explore our own identity is like giving yourself a favor.
@RichFaust
That is a very thoughtful response. You’re right to ask where the question itself comes from. Whether it’s intrusive thoughts or criticism, the root of the issue changes how it can be addressed. Your reminder that we’re all works in progress, paired with the powerful encouragement to embrace both strengths and flaws, makes the answer compassionate and empowering. It also wisely emphasizes self-awareness and resisting negative labels imposed by others, which helps build resilience and self-acceptance.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
Harboring feelings of inadequacy or not being enough for another person's approval is a very painful thing to go through. However, you must remind yourself that comparing yourself to others does not define your worth. Everyone is defined by their uniqueness in their personalities and skills that add value to relationships with others. To begin you must learn to practice self-compassion. Always remind yourself of your inner strengths and how much you can bring value to others in relationships. Self-motivate with the "I can do it" spirit, read philosophical books and listen to inspirational audios. Furthermore, of your sense of inadequacy stems from within, you must communicate it openly. The person you communicate to must be a nonjudgemental, empathic, and thoughtful active listener who will value you for who you are, and not for perfection. Learn to focus on personal growth, set healthy boundaries, and participate in healthy activities that boost your self-esteem and confidence. You are seen, heard, and loved. You are valuable, and not not need the approval of others to be perfect. Always remember that.
Keywords: self-esteem, personal growth, valuable, communicate, nonjudgemental, healthy boundaries, self-compassion.
@McElysium
This passage offers a compassionate reminder that self-worth comes from within, not from comparison or others’ approval. It beautifully emphasizes the importance of self-compassion, open communication, and personal growth in building confidence and healthy relationships.
