If you’re like most people, you may be about to make some New Year’s Resolutions. And, year after year, you may rush into and list all the things you’d like to change.
But, you may find it easier to really be grateful for the past year, and learn from it, if you create a written time capsule of it before heading into 2020. This is not a time capsule of current events, but of personal ones.
A time capsule captured by 40 questions reflecting on your 2019 thoughts, emotions, accomplishments, and life.
It’s not quite as in-depth a reflection activity as this post on Positive Reflection. It’s a bit more light-hearted and fun. It’s a personal, written, time-capsule you can create each year.
Did you know that journaling and documentation are therapy? Whether you are documenting light-hearted facts and memories, or really digging into your feelings and thoughts, journaling helps you process and overcome trauma, or increase gratitude for good events.
In 2018, researchers found that positive reflection and journaling reduces mental distress, increases well-being, and enhances physical functioning (1).
In fact, did you know that even physical impairments such as wound heal faster when you journal? Studies have found that patients instructed to write about perceived and emotional distress, loneliness, self-esteem, social support, dispositional optimism, and health-related behaviors wounds healed quicker and were smaller than those who did after 14 and 21 days.
How can this be?
Psychological trauma downregulates the immune system and acts as a barrier to healing, both physically and emotionally (2).
There’s a lot of power in writing and journaling.
So, print this out, grab a pen, and get writing. This light-hearted activity is a great way to end 2019 and look forward to 2020.