Maybe you while away the winter hours watching “Call the Midwife” on Netflix. You could be a Sudoku superstar, a scrap booker, or a bird watcher. These quieter winter pastimes give us time to think, and journaling can do the same. Few among us would count journaling as a hobby. But exploring a few journal prompts can open new doors in the year to come, and might even lead to a pastime with lifelong benefits.
Research shows journaling benefits older adults in some surprising ways. It can relieve stress and provide emotional healing. It helps us unlock memories and process new events. But regular journaling also helps older adults cope better with day-to-day situations, enables us to experience the joy of discovery, and helps to nurture our voice and spirit, according to a study published in Educational Gerontology.
The benefits go beyond emotional well-being. Researchers reported in a JAMA study that patients with mild to severe rheumatoid arthritis who wrote about stressful life experiences had clinically relevant health changes after four months compared to those who did not write.
If writing has never been a comfortable exercise for you, journaling can be intimidating.
First, retire that image in your mind’s eye of a lovelorn teenager filling diary pages with relationship drama or an author compiling notes for his next bestseller. Journaling is for everyone. There are no rules to remember or grammarians to hinder your progress. The main point is putting thoughts to paper in any way that feels relevant to you.
Start by keeping it simple. Purchase a bullet journal or a planner if that inspires you, but using a plain wide-ruled notebook can be just as effective. Write a few sentences about the day ahead, a task you need to complete, or three things you feel grateful for. Is your neighbor’s dog barking into oblivion? Write a quick note about how much it annoys you. If your mind wanders and you end up doodling in the margins, don’t worry. Give yourself a few minutes and then stop while it still feels easy. That will help you come back to it tomorrow.
As a new year begins, journaling offers a quiet invitation to pause and give your thoughts a place to land. You don’t need a plan or a purpose beyond curiosity. A few lines today can become a record of resilience, humor, and wisdom accumulated over time. The simple act of showing up on the page can help you greet the year ahead with greater clarity, comfort, and connection. This winter, one page — or even one paragraph — is enough to begin.
Editor’s note: This article was submitted by Leigh-Anne Lees, community relations director for Valley Program for Aging Services.
