Wherever you are, as long as you’ve got something to write with, you can journal. Journaling retirement years brings a variety of positive benefits, helping you keep emotionally healthy. What can you gain from keeping a journal? We discuss the benefits of journaling here.
Enhances Memory
Journaling helps you keep track of your achievements and journeys in life. Keeping a daily log of your activities can help you remember crucial information, everyday events, and even serve to help you take note of future events. Recording your thoughts and feelings provide you with a treasured heirloom that you can look back on, or even pass down to your family. When you sit down each day to pen your thoughts, you’re also exercising your memory and keeping your mental faculties sharp. So not only are you recording your memories, you’re training your brain to remember better!
It Can Help You Be Digitally-Savvy
If you’re new to the digital world and want to become better accustomed to it, why not take your journaling to the digital realm? Perhaps you can record your thoughts on that new tablet your grandkid bought you, or your computer or smartphone. If you have limited mobility, an online diary can be more practical. These days, technology provides a host of options such as touch keyboards, journaling applications and talk-to-text features. Learning how to navigate new technology can also exercise your mind. If you are unsure about how to get started, an older grandchild can help you out! This can be a bonding activity between the two of you. When getting started with technology, however, it is important to know how to keep yourself safe online – check out our guide to help you avoid common scams, and talk to a trusted family member or friend if you have any doubts.
Regulates Emotions and Relieves Stress
A journaling habit helps you achieve emotional regulation. If you find yourself having a strong emotional response to something, write it down. The process of translating your thoughts to paper can help you think things through calmly and present you with more insights. Journaling can be therapeutic in this way! Expressing your feelings can help you feel better and relieve stress. At the same time, writing can also give you a sense of purpose, helping you clarify your identity as you get to “know yourself” during the writing process.
For those with limited ability, journaling can be especially helpful as it does not require physical activity. Knitting is another hobby that you could pick up if you are in such a situation.
Getting Started
If you’ve decided to start a journal but have no idea where to begin, you can simply start by chronicling your day. What did you do, and how did you feel? What things did you notice around you? It can be something as small as noticing how the wind moves through the leaves of the tree outside your window. Or perhaps you met some old friends for lunch, or won a prize. Big or small, all of these moments make up the tapestry of your life that you can one day look back on and smile at.
