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   

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