Senior to Senior: Dear Journal

We’ve talked about journaling before; you may or may not have embraced the idea, but now might be a good time to reconsider. Thank goodness something like a pandemic doesn’t come along every day, but history tells us that similar events have happened before and will likely happen again. You may not think that everyday life is a slice of history, but it is. Remember how you loved reading the Little House books or the Diary of Anne Frank? They were slices of history, weren’t they? Well, history is happening right now, and you are in it. How much of this particular slice of history will you remember? You have a chance, right now, to record your thoughts and your feelings as you struggle through difficult times. Dear Diary; keeping a journal isn’t just for teenage girls. Scientists tell us that writing about life’s stressful events is a good thing; a way to calm your mind. If you find writing letters or writing anything more complicated than a grocery list a bore, you are not alone. Instead of freaking out; think about journaling as a way to embrace history. • Start small • Your thoughts don’t need to be profound or inspirational; forget about grammar, spelling and penmanship • Journals are private unless you want to share Journaling is a way to express yourself. It can be as simple as making a list, but if you can write something that evokes “feelings,” it will be even better. Journaling is easy and it is cheap. Write a few key words across the top of a page; words that evoke emotions (fear, anger, anxiety, despair and unrest), and then relate them to what is going on in front of your own eyes. This is your time: • Set up a regular time • Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted • Relax with a cup of tea or meditate for a few minutes Studies show that reflection and writing are good ways to clear the mind, as well as a good way to keep your mind sharp as you age.