Documenting Your Life Story May be Good for Your Health


The executive editor of Harvard’s Men’s Health Watch, Matthew Solan, suggested in a recent article that writing out your life story may be good for your health.   He explains it can be used as a therapeutic tool and help you to explore issues that may still trouble you.  Published in the March 2018 JAMA Psychiatry the study found that “writing about a specific upsetting memory was just as effective as traditional cognitive processing therapy in treating adults with post-traumatic stress disorder."

There are several tools including books and articles on the Internet that can help you get started and guide you through the process.  Debby Bitticks, the author of "Cherished Memories", reminds seniors that writing your life story provides the opportunity for self-growth as well as to pass along any life lessons.  By making time to reflect on your life, you can exercise your memory or “discover if any events from your past are still impacting your life.”  

There is no need to worry if you are not a writer.  Suggestions include taking your time, using photos to prompt your memory, and writing a little bit each day.  Another bonus to documenting your life is you may be surprised to learn how much your family is interested in your story.  As Brendan Kearney, a Vitalize 360 wellness coach at Harvard-affiliated Hebrew SeniorLife, writes, “You have a unique firsthand account of your culture and history that others don't, and leaving a recorded history of your life can be an important gift to both you and your descendants."  After reading your story, your family may realize how little they had actually known about your life. 

At MorningStar at Mountain Shadows, we represent the very best in senior living with a unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.”  We have built a foundation on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents at the foot of the majestic Rockies.  Please schedule a visit to experience firsthand our beautiful senior living community.   

Source:

health.usnews.com/health-care/for-better/articles/2018-06-27/the-benefits-of-documenting-your-life-story   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Benefits of Assisted Living

Image
Studies show that for many older adults in need of a little daily assistance, life is easier in assisted living.  The reason so many of them say they prefer assisted living to living on their own, is it actuals helps them to feel more – not less – independent.  In fact, senior living communities such as MorningStar of Littleton are designed to provide seniors a lifestyle of comfort, wellness, and community.   When you live in your own home, you have the constant worry of upkeep and unexpected repairs, or you may be a person who no longer feels comfortable driving and have given it up altogether.  This makes running errands, grocery shopping and getting to doctors’ appointments difficult. Moving into assisted living means you no longer have to spend time worrying about maintaining a home, and communities such as MorningStar offer scheduled transportation.  Meal prep is another thing that is often difficult for the elderly, and as a result, many older adults who live alone do not
Read more

The MorningStar Family

Image
MorningStar Senior Living’s Founder and CEO, Ken Jaeger, first began forming the idea of starting a company from a desire to create senior living that was defined by the human touch. He says his intention was to “re-create my grandmother’s house, a place where one can go and feel a sense of family.” This simple but profound concept has driven the overwhelming success of our MorningStar brand. Now nearly seventeen years later, MorningStar continues to add communities across the Western U.S., including MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care of Littleton, in the Greater Denver area. At MorningStar of Littleton, our goal is to create a true home for our residents - one that feels like a family. To help us achieve this, our dedicated team strives to live up to our unique mission statement, which includes honoring God in all of our business practices and relationships and valuing all seniors as gifted and contributing individuals. The last part of our mission statement is t
Read more

The Top Reasons Family Considers Assisted Living

Image
Coming to the realization that your loved one may need support beyond what you can provide comes with difficult decisions to make regarding assisted living . Caregivers of family members and loved ones that have special needs or require extra help often experience their own hardships. Anxiety, depression, negative eating habits, financial strain and poor health are not rare when it comes to caring for an elderly parent or family member. Children of senior parents may feel shame in assessing senior living and assisted care, but these facilities can lessen that guilt and offer a peace of mind that your loved one is healthy, safe, and happy. You know your parent better than anyone and have developed a care routine that allows your parent to be close by or living in similar circumstances of their younger years. Sadly, this may not always be sustainable. Perhaps you have welcomed a new child, taken a new job where you will be around less often, or maybe have decided to move. If you are unab
Read more