Finding your community can be tough. We share six online communities that can help support your mental health and wellbeing

Do you ever feel like you’re struggling to connect and find your space? You’re not alone. More than a quarter of us report feeling lonely always, often, or some of the time. One study found that 43% of us feel like we aren’t part of the community we live in. With so many of us feeling lonely and disconnected, now more than ever we need to start finding communities that we can feel a part of – and that can help support us when we’re struggling with our mental health and wellbeing.

The benefits of online communities

Being part of a community can help us to feel happier, safer, more connected, and more joyful. It can even help us to feel like we have more purpose. With so much of our lives taking place online now, it’s no wonder that we are turning to online spaces to help us both find support and a sense of community.

Online communities can help us connect with more people outside of our immediate geographic area, to create a network of support, make friends, and meet others with shared interests, experiences, values, beliefs, or identities. 

Finding online communities can also be a great alternative if you struggle to connect with others in your local community, whether that’s because of mobility issues, social anxiety, or limited free time due to work or family commitments. 

When it comes to finding and taking part in online communities, it’s important to keep your safety at the forefront of your mind. Just like you would think of your physical safety if you were going to attend a new club, group, or event, you need to consider how you can protect your mental health and wellbeing when exploring online spaces and finding the right community for you. 

When looking for new communities, ask yourself:

  • What kind of community do I want to find?
    Are you looking for something specific, like a hobby-based Discord server? Do you want to connect with others with similar lived experiences through a mental health forum? Or are you looking to start with an online connection through a local Facebook group that may have the opportunity to take things from digital to physical? 
  • How does this space make me feel?
    Not all online communities are for everyone. If you find somewhere that sounds great in theory, but when you start to look around, instead of feeling connected, safe, and able to open up, you start feeling anxious, worried, or drained, it can be a sign that you haven’t quite found the space that is right for you. Ask yourself: Does this community support my wellbeing? Does it align with my values? Do I feel excited to go back, or anxious about what I might read/hear/see? 
  • What are my boundaries?
    Consider how to take care of yourself online. Setting healthy boundaries can be helpful with so many different things. Knowing your specific triggers, curating your experience by blocking or disengaging with accounts or people that you find upsetting, and having a plan for what to do if you have a bad online experience can all help. 

Finding online communities

Knowing where to get started can feel overwhelming. There are so many different choices out there, yet finding one that fits your needs and feels safe and comfortable can be a challenge. Here are six places to help you get started:

  1. Side by Side: An online peer support community by mental health charity Mind, Side by Side offers a place to listen, share, connect, and be heard. Welcoming anyone over the age of 18, it’s designed to be a place where you can connect with others 24/7 in a safe space. Users can connect with others over shared interests and can share and talk about their mental health experiences. Users are reminded to be mindful, kind, and safe when interacting with each other and connecting with the community. 
  2. Facebook groups: Almost a third (31%) of those of us still using Facebook take part in groups or communities. Facebook groups can be tricky to navigate at first, as finding the right ones can take some searching, but once you get the hang of it, there are plenty out there to choose from. 

    All you need is a Facebook account to start browsing groups and find the right one for your needs. From communities built around shared experiences to those built around specific hobbies, there are groups for everything. Communities like The Anxious Mums Club offers a space for mums and mums-to-be to share experiences, find comfort and support, while Focussed Femmes is a community built around supporting women with ADHD, helping them to connect with others with similar challenges and life experiences, helping them to connect, thrive, move forward, and find a way to focus. 

    Whether you’re looking for mental health memes to brighten your day, positive affirmations to help give you a little boost, each group offers a unique sense of community and a space to make new connections with others. 
  3. The Mighty: The Mighty has over 700 health-based communities. Designed for those who want to learn more, have a health diagnosis or care for someone with a physical or mental health diagnosis, based on your interests and experiences, The Mighty recommends groups, members, and topics relevant to you. Each individual section has information about the related condition, as well as making it easy to find related groups, make your own posts, and start connecting with others. 

    It can be a little overwhelming at first to navigate through all of the options, but if you are looking to connect with others around a specific lived experience or mental health condition, The Mights offers an extensive range of communities to explore. Those looking to connect around hobbies and interests can also find individual sections tailored for them with a wellbeing twist, from slow cooking as self-care to photography as therapy. 
  4. Reddit: Often called ‘the front page of the internet’, Reddit sees over 97 million people visit each and every day. One of the largest social media platforms, Reddit offers subreddits (dedicated communities) for everything imaginable, from cute cat pictures to world news, advice on how to decorate, to looking after your mental health. There are subreddits for literally everything. If you can think of it, there’s probably already a community around it – and if there isn’t, it’s easy to set one up yourself.

    If you aren’t sure where to get started, r/MadeMeSmile is a great place to start familiarising yourself with Reddit. Filled with posts designed to make you smile, people share funny and heartwarming videos and photos, personal stories, memes, and personal wins. For those looking to connect with others about mental health and wellbeing, r/MentalHealthUK provides support, resources, and mental health news around mental health in general, with members of the community sharing personal experiences, asking for and sharing advice. 
  5. Meetup: Designed to help find and build local communities, Meetup offers both online-only communities as well as the chance to connect with (and create) your own local communities. Used to help people connect, learn new things, find support, and even get out of their comfort zone, you can browse based on location, look at upcoming online events, and find local groups to join. You can search for communities and events based around your interests, hobbies, or if you are looking for support.   
  6. Discord: Discord can be a little tricky to navigate at first, but once you start finding the right kind of servers for you, it can be a great place to build connections, make lasting friendships, and find your community. Both available via the website or to download for your desktop or mobile, Discord allows you to take part in individual ‘servers’ (forums), to make friends, have video calls or voice chats, or to stick with typing. 

    Discord splits its servers into gaming, entertainment, education, science and tech, and music. You can explore what communities are available via the Discord website, which gives you a little information about each individual community, how many members it has, and whether it is verified or not. If you are looking to connect with communities around specific hobbies or games, Discord can be a particularly helpful platform to find other like-minded individuals. 

Keeping yourself safe

When searching for new online spaces and communities, it’s important to keep your safety in mind. Be mindful of what details you are sharing publicly with others, and don’t feel bad about setting boundaries. Learn more about staying safe online.