It’s easy to feel our wits slipping away as we advance in age. But we here at Infinite Love Homecare are adamant about the idea that everyone – even the elderly – has to enjoy life to the maximum. We want you to live life at the highest quality; we encourage you to keep a journal. Journaling is proven to help in maintaining good mental and physical health. Here are six reasons why seniors should keep a journal.
1. A Journal Records Your Life Experiences as You See Fit
Family history is a big deal. You can choose to keep your journal private, but you can also share it with your loved ones. Journaling is a secret way to put your personal history on paper so you can eventually share it with your family at your chosen time.
Keeping a journal is a private endeavor. And when you know that you are in control of whose eyes see the info on those pages, you can become more honest. You can use a journal to record memoirs, recollections, and the history of your family and heirs – you have the choice to include only the memories you choose to convey.
2. Journaling Sharpens the Mind
Actively reminiscing and writing down memories, even ones made on that day, takes brainpower. Additionally, writing improves cognitive function as it requires you to think logically, write letters and words in a particular manner, and include punctuation and grammar, so the text is understandable. It also forces you to think from idea to idea in a clear and coherent pattern.
The mentally improving effects of journaling are magnified when writing with a pen and paper compared to typing on a computer. Additionally, writing in cursive is an excellent mental exercise, especially for the elderly, because it improves focus and attention.
Aside from keeping the mind active, journaling also improves communication skills. Although, as discussed above, writing memories requires thinking clearly and logically, writers must combine words in a way that makes sense.
3. Keeping a Journal Helps with Rehabilitation
It is no secret that the elderly get afflicted with more diseases much easier than the younger generation. But did you know that keeping a journal helps in the recovery process of the elderly? The principle behind the therapy is to help individuals process their feelings.
Even just writing down your thoughts about how you feel regarding the nurses, the condition you are in, and the treatment will help you process them. Expressing your ideas on paper will help you focus on what you must do for a quicker recovery. You can also focus on what’s going well and what isn’t and keep reminders of what the medical professionals tell you to do.
4. Journaling Helps Manage Stress
As discussed above, writing down thoughts and feelings helps in processing them. With that principle, journaling can help you manage stress by tracking your feelings and anxieties daily. In addition, writing down your everyday thoughts is an excellent way to clear your head at the end of the day.
Aside from processing stress by expressing negative thoughts and getting them out of your system, you can also become more proactive in filling your life with a little ray of sunshine. For example, instead of just getting the negative thoughts out, you can also try thinking about the positives in your life and writing them down.
Write down the things for which you are grateful. Also, write down the beautiful things that happened to you or your bright musings during the day. Meditating and writing down the positive things that happened to you throughout the day is a powerful way to finish a journal.
5. Writing a Journal Fights Depression
The daily practice of writing a journal is known to help combat the symptoms of depression. In addition, writing down your thoughts and feelings will help you come to terms with aging and the lifestyle changes you must adopt. Plus, journaling will also help you enjoy the present more, mainly if you process the adverse events and focus on the positive ones.
Research has also shown that spending at least twenty minutes writing in a daily journal makes people going through complex medical issues more excited and enthusiastic to tackle daily activities. The more they write about what they will do, the more eager they become. As a result, there’s more light and purpose in their lives.
6. Keep a Journal to Sleep Better
One of the tricks to falling asleep when there are a million thoughts in your mind is to write those thoughts down. It is difficult to fall asleep when concerns and random thoughts leave your mind restless. Processing those thoughts by expressing them in words and writing is an effective way to get them out of mind.
Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center found that people living with cancer who wrote in a journal about their experiences with cancer slept better and longer than those who did not. Sleep is an essential part of life. Having a way to improve and maintain it even at an advanced age is an opportunity you should not just ignore.
7. Set and Achieve Your Goals
Do you still have goals you haven’t accomplished? If not, how about setting new goals? Setting goals even as a senior is one way to add spice to life. A journal is an excellent way to write down goals and keep track of your progress. Seeing yourself achieve goals, even just little by little, will bring more excitement to your life.
Don’t Have Time to Write Anything?
“I barely have time to get my groceries, prepare meals, and do housekeeping. So how will I squeeze journaling into my already-tight schedule?” We at Infinite Love Homecare believe in letting the elderly enjoy their twilight years the most.
We offer many services that will take care of your daily menial tasks – light housekeeping, grocery and meal preparation, transportation, medication reminders, and even companionship are just a few of the many services we offer. For a free in-home assessment, contact us at (949) 529-4130 or fill out our contact form. You can also visit our office at City Tower, 333 City Boulevard, West Suite 1700, Orange, CA 92868.
