According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, journaling can have significant benefits to mental health, including reducing stress and anxiety and helping you identify negative thought trends and consider more positive options. Seniors might also enjoy journaling to help them be thankful for certain small details of each day or remember important thoughts and events later. One of the best things about journaling is that it's a very inexpensive habit or hobby to develop, and you can choose from a variety of ways to make journaling something you can regularly enjoy in your assisted living apartment at the Park Regency assisted living community in Loveland.
Try one or more of these tips for journaling to get started.
Instead of writing in a basic notebook, choose a journal that speaks to your personal style and soul. you can find blank notebooks in almost any size with numerous designs. They also come with different paper types, including lined pages, blank pages and pages with dot or grid patterns. If you like to doodle as much as you like to write, choose a journal with blank pages so it can double as a sketch book.
You can find bargain journals at stores such as Barnes and Noble or craft stores or online via Amazon. For as little as around $5, you can purchase a journal with a gorgeous cover and pages you enjoy writing on.
Bring color to your memories with markers and gel pens, or add stickers to your journaling to help tell the story of your day with tiny images. If you're using markers or felt pens on your journal, make sure you buy notebooks that have high-quality, heavy papers. That keeps ink from bleeding through, so you can journal on both sides of the page without being distracted.
For some seniors, wielding a writing instrument long enough to capture the day's thoughts and memories may not be an option. And even if writing is still a comfortable enough task, you may not want to engage in pen-and-paper creativity every day. In either case, digital options may be a better way to journal. You can journal by:
Typing thoughts into a word processing program on your computer
Using a note-taking app on a smartphone or tablet to record your thoughts with a stylus or by tapping them in as if you're sending yourself text messages
Recording your thoughts on an audio device or via a voice-recording app on your phone
If you're not sure where to start or the idea of journaling seems daunting, buy a themed journal that provides some instruction each day. Some seniors might enjoy list journals, which provide just enough space to write a short list daily. The journal might prompt you to list three things you're thankful for each day, for example. Other list journals have unique lists each day to help spawn creativity.
The best way to create a healthy daily habit of any kind is to schedule it. Set aside 15 minutes of your day to journal. Many people enjoy journaling in the evening as a way to reflect on their day, but you can find the time that works best for you. And remember that journaling is a portable task, so if you're feeling a rut in your writing routing, consider moving to one of the many community areas at Park Regency assisted living in Loveland to try journaling in a different area.
