Before we look into the benefits of journaling for seniors, let’s first explain journaling. For those not familiar, it means, in part, to keep a record of your activities and thoughts. While a list of activities may be mentioned, journaling moves beyond that while it focuses on recorded daily events and present occurrences. It’s more than just recording things in a calendar or a diary. A true journal calls for more reflection and self-expression.

More times than not, a journal is for your eyes only – a private endeavor – so be honest. The information collected in a journal can be used to record an oral history for heirs and family, offer recollections, write memoirs, and more. But why should you keep a journal?

Researchers have found the practice of journaling for seniors can help them live a fuller life. Should you be journaling? Here are a few reasons why you might want to consider it.

Get Better Sleep

Where would we be without scientific studies?

Over a decade ago, a study was done comparing how long people who kept a journal were able to sleep to how long people who didn’t keep a journal were able to sleep. Longer sleep periods were experienced by people who kept a journal.

Battle Depression

Depression among seniors is an ongoing problem. Some seniors have experienced more enjoyment of present-day occurrences by being able to come to terms with lifestyle changes brought on by aging. By knowing you must schedule 20 minutes each day to record daily activities in your journal, you may be giving yourself something to look forward to – and, as a result, better work through medical issues.

Rehab Assistance

To help with therapy and rehabilitation, some seniors have benefited from sharing experiences or feelings with caregivers or nurses through recording them in a journal. To concentrate on what you need to work on, expressing yourself in a journal can help focus on what’s going well or assist you to work on your recovery.

Stress Management

By tracking your anxieties and prioritizing your fears, journaling can assist with stress management. It can help to clear your head if you write down your thoughts. Individuals can better guide themselves through times of grief and anxiety when they can focus on positive self-tasking and gratitude.

Maintain an Active Mind

According to recent studies, a senior’s communication skills can be kept sharp and their mind more active through journaling. Because you can document, and therefore revisit, past actions and decisions, it can help compensate for memory loss, and actually slow it down.

Record the Experiences of Your Life

To gather information for family histories or memoirs, one good method is by revisiting journal entries. You can gather information to be passed along – even though your journal stays private – to enlighten future generations and record information about your life.

Keeping a Journal In This Day and Age

Remember, you don’t have to write words on paper in order to keep a journal. There are phone apps to help you write a journal, word processing applications, or you could write a blog. With some of these, you can even incorporate graphics/photos into your blog or journal.

Here are some of today’s most commonly used journaling applications:

Glimpses (no charge)
Diarium (Don’t type? This is perfect. It’s great for dictation.)
Day One (if you just want to do some quick entries, this works well)

Not Into Journaling? Not a Problem! There’s Lots to Do at Discovery Village At The Forum

We understand, not everyone is into journaling or wants to be. But journaling is only one of many activities or pastimes instrumental in helping to keep your mind sharp and your outlook healthy.

Are you looking for an assisted living community that offers seniors numerous activities for enjoyment, socialization, and much more? If so, before you check out any other senior living communities, see what we have to offer through Discovery Village At The Forum.

We offer exclusive senior living programs such as the following:

Transportation
Housekeeping and maintenance
Concierge service
Activities and events
Specialized dining opportunities
Ambassadors Club
… and more

See? No journaling!

But wait! There is more. Your comfort is of the utmost importance, so we do all we can to assure that comfort with safe opportunities for socialization, upscale dining, wellness and health programs, and much, much more.