Choose simple, open-ended prompts
The best journaling prompts will inspire ideas almost effortlessly. When you start thinking about prompts, aim for simple options that are common to most people. Popular writing prompts for seniors might include:
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· What was your first job like?
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· What is your favorite story to tell?
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· What do you see outside your window?
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· If you could pass along a single life lesson to young adults, what would it be?
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· What was the best piece of advice you ever received?
If you choose, you might want to focus your journaling on a specific subject. You could fill a journal with memories from your childhood or write about what happens each day. To avoid getting overwhelmed, start with one topic and then consider another one once you fill up the first one.
Promote positivity
The goal of journaling is to create a positive environment for people to process their thoughts and enjoy their recollections. Although positivity should be a focus, it should not silence negative thoughts or experiences. If a prompt recalls some frustration or agitation, consider following it up with a simple prompt that encourages positive reflection on the cause of the negativity. For example, if a prompt brings up memories of a bad ending to a friendship, a following prompt might discuss lessons learned or gratitude for the experience. This approach makes space for annoyance without turning the activity into a negative one.
Encourage reflection
Reflection is key to making the benefits of journaling extend outside of the individual exercise. Once people put pen to paper, they often want to share it with others. If your writing reminds you of something special or important you want to discuss, tell friends or family members about it. Encourage them to read your writing.
Even if you don’t want to share, take the time to read what you’ve written. Avoid getting stuck on the condition of your handwriting or mistakes that you made. Allow yourself to feel the emotions that the writing brings up. Once you are done reflecting, let the words stay on the page, content in the knowledge that those perspectives will always be with you.
Journaling makes it easy to write down what you think without having to worry that someone else will read it and judge you. It also provides a great canvas to express the art of your life, especially one well-lived. By incorporating journaling into your life as an older adult, you can help to preserve your memory and maintain your mental health.
Author bio: Kandyse Morales is the Manager of Home Care Services at Hearts at Home Senior Care, which provides caregiving services to seniors and others in the Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, Texas areas. Morales holds a master’s degree in social work from Metropolitan State University of Denver and has dedicated many years to supporting families through a variety of health and human services agencies.