You may not be interested in keeping a journal, writing a letter, penning your memoirs or even writing for the fun of it but don’t rule out writing as a therapeutic experience.
Psychological studies reveal that “expressive writing” can be beneficial, especially for those enduring chronic afflictions. Statistics confirm that many people suffer from chronic afflictions; many of them are seniors.
Seniors everywhere will tell you that getting “older” is not for sissies. A lot of stress, a lot of pain, and a lot of psychological angst combine to make day to day living challenging.
Expressive writing is one way to make sense out of what is happening in your life. Something good happens when you put your feelings, thoughts, struggles and fears into writing:
- The act of thinking and writing about an experience helps organize thoughts and makes the experience meaningful.
- Writing is thinking on paper; it is easy and cheaper than therapy. It has been known to the reduce severity of symptoms and makes problem solving easier.
- Expressive writing is personal, spontaneous, and unstructured. No rules, it is for your eyes only.
If you are not a natural “word junkie” you are probably wondering where to start. Focus on what is bothering you. Depression, pain, anger and hopelessness are all fair game. Write about what you are worried about and how this makes you feel. Think about what you can do to make things better. Don’t over think, just do it.
Getting started:
Figure out what works for you. Use a computer, loose leaf paper or a fancy bound journal. Set aside a few minutes a day for three or four days at a time and just let it all out. Be kind to yourself. It is not in your best interest to be judgmental or to try to be too perfect. Writing about your feelings is an easy way to process thoughts and reflect on how you are going to deal with them. Go ahead and write something, you may find that you like it.
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