SYNERGIST The Journaling for Better Health

Family Caregiver Support Program
November 2014
The SYNERGIST
Published by:
November is National Family
Caregiver Month
Journaling for Better Health
Inside this issue:
Journaling for Better
Health
1
Powerful Tools
1
Calendar
1
Expressive Writing
2
100 Benefits of Journaling
2
Support Groups
3
Writing Assignment &
Tips for Writing
4
AARP’s I HEART Caregivers
4
Family Caregiving
Educational Series
FREE CLASSES
Tuesday 01/20/15
2:00-3:30pm
Principles of Caregiving: An introduction to being
a family caregiver and tips for
new caregivers.
Tuesday 02/17/15
2:00-3:30pm
by: Jack W. Light, LCSW
In this issue we look at the benefits of “journaling”. In the age of blogging, Facebook, Twitter, and email, journaling is a throwback to simpler times. It is a personal, introspective activity, a time to share you, with yourself; a process to review your own thoughts, with the
opportunity to revisit a unique tangible record of happiness, deep thought, inspiration, contemplation and sometimes, sadness. It’s more than a diary and the opposite of the electronic documentation for mass consumption that is so pervasive today.
Journaling is a therapeutic process that provides a platform for healthy living. Journaling is
stress reducing and opens avenues to psychological healing, personal growth, problem
solving and enhances one’s intuition and creativity. In addition, studies have shown positive physical effects of expressive writing, including boosting one’s immune system
(Pennebaker 1988).
Journaling as a process can be tailored to the needs of the person doing it. For example,
some have taken a page from journaling and started a “gratitude” journal, in which they
write a certain number of things each day for which they are grateful. Doing this everyday
caused them to look for something for which they are grateful, which means that they are
looking at the positive things in their life, rather than the negative and expressing an
“attitude of gratitude”. People with an "attitude of gratitude" are in better physical health,
sleep better, and spend more time exercising (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).
Caregivers know through our program that… “caregiving includes, caring for me”… and
journaling is another tool to empower you as you go through the caregiving journey.
(continued on page 2, Journaling for Better Health)
Looking at the Calendar…Powerful Tools for Caregivers!
Health Insurance Coverage: Covered CA, Medi-
Offered on six consecutive Tuesdays, February 10th through March 17th, 2015 from 2:30
PM to 5:00 PM in Brea. Or , Thursdays, April 9 through May 14th, 2015 from 1:00 PM to
3:30 PM in Huntington Beach.
Cal, Medicare & Private Ins—
Tips and strategies for handling each type.
Class info will help you improve your self-confidence & problem solving skills. Lessons &
discussion allow you to take the “tools” provided & put them into action. You will learn to:
All Classes are at St. Jude
Community Services, 130 W.
Bastanchury, Fullerton 92835
Take care of yourself • Reduce stress • Make tough decisions • Reduce guilt, anger & depression • Set goals & learn to problem solve • Communicate effectively with doctors, family
members & paid attendants.
To join this class, please call the CRC and register at: 800-543-8312.
November is National Family
Caregiver Month
Page 2
(Journaling for Better Health, continued from page 1)
As you read through this issue; think about using journaling to care for yourself.
More importantly if it works for you, please feel free to let us know and/or share with your
fellow caregivers at one of our support groups or classes.
Expressive Writing (James Pennebaker Ph.D.)
(Excerpted from University of Texas at Austin , website features //www.utexas.edu/features/2005/writing/)
“...For nearly 20 years, Dr. James W. Pennebaker has been giving people an assignment: write down your deepest feelings about an emotional upheaval in your life for 15 or
20 minutes a day for four consecutive days. Many of those who followed his simple instructions have found their immune systems strengthened. Others have seen their grades
improved. Sometimes entire lives have changed.
Photos by Karin Little, MSW
“ The life without examination is no life.” - PLATO
CRC Partner Agencies:
 Abrazar
 Acacia Adult Day







Services
Age Well Senior Svcs
Alzheimer’s
Association– Orange
County
Alzheimer’s Family
Services Center
Council on Aging
SeniorServ
Rehab. Institute of
Orange (RIO)
Vietnamese Community of Orange
County (VNCOC)
Pennebaker,
a professor in
the Department of Psychology at
The University of Texas
at Austin and
author of several books, is
a pioneer in
the study of
using expressive writing
as a route to
healing…”
(Continued
on page 4)
100 Benefits of Journaling
STRESS REDUCTION: Reduces the scatter in your life / Increases focus / Brings stability / Offers a deeper level of learning, order, action and release / Holds thoughts still so
they can be changed & integrated / Processes your stuff in a natural & appropriate way /
Releases pent-up thoughts & emotions / Empowers / Disentangles thoughts and ideas /
Bridges inner thinking with outer events / Detaches and lets go of the past / Allows you to
re-experience the past with today’s adult mind.
HEALING: Heals relationships / Heals the past / Dignifies all events / Is honest, trusting,
non-judgmental / Strengthens your sense of yourself / Balances and harmonizes / Recalls
and reconstructs past events / Acts as your own counselor / Integrates peaks and valleys
in life.
PERSONAL GROWTH: Enables you to live life to the fullest / Is fun, playful & sometimes
humorous / Plants seeds / Starts the sorting & grouping process /
(continued on page 3, 100 Benefits of Journaling )
November is National Family
Caregiver Month
Page 3
100 Benefits of Journaling (continued from page 2)
PERSONAL GROWTH cont.: Integrates life experiences & learnings / Moves you towards wholeness & growth, to who
you really are / Creates more results in life / Explores your spirituality / Focuses & clarifies your desires & needs / Enhances self expression / Enhances career & community / Allows freedom of expression / Offers progressive inner momentum to static unrelated events / Exercises your mental muscles / Improves congruency & integrity / Enhances breakthroughs / Unfolds the writer in you / Maximizes time and business efficiency / Explores night dreams, day dreams & fantasies / Soothes troubled memories / Sees yourself as a larger, important, whole and connected being / Leverages therapy sessions for better and faster results / Reveals & tracks patterns & cycles.
KNOW YOURSELF & YOUR TRUTH BETTER: Builds self confidence & knowledge / Records the past / Brings out natural beauty & wisdom / Helps you feel better about yourself / Helps you identify your values / Reads your own mind / Aids
in connecting causes to effects / Reveals the depths of who you are / Creates mystery / Clarifies thoughts, feelings & behavior / Reveals your greater potential / Shifts you to the observer, recorder, counselor level / Reveals your processes—
how you think, learn, create & use intuition / Creates awareness of beliefs and options so you can change them / Self discovery / Reveals different aspects of self / Helps you see yourself as an individual / Connects you to the bigger picture /
Measures & tracks what is important.
EASIER PROBLEM SOLVING: Eases decision making / Offers new perspectives / Brings things together / Shows relationships & wholeness instead of separation.
IT’S FLEXIBILE & EASY: Can be applied to clarify any issue in your life / Takes so little time to stop, pay attention &
listen to yourself / Meets your needs, style, processing methods / Caters to left & right brained people / Has no rules—
messiness, typos, poor writing are all OK / Is often self-starting & motivating & supplies its own energy.
ENHANCES INTUITION & CREATIVITY: Improves self trust / Awakens the inner voice / Directs intention & discernment
/ Provides insights / Is a close, intimate, accepting, trusting, caring, honest, non-judgmental, perfect friend / Accesses the
unconscious, subconscious & super consciousness / Finds the missing pieces & the unsaid / Helps rid you of the masks
you wear / Helps solve the mysteries of life / Finds more meaning in life / Improves sensitivity / Interprets your symbols &
dreams / Increases memory of events.
CAPTURES YOUR STORY: Teaches you how to write stories / Soothes troubled memories / Captures family & personal
story / Stimulates personal growth / Improves family unity.
(From www.appleseeds.org. Written by John Robson & Patrice Steen)
Caregiver Support Groups — try one on for size …
Fullerton – Thrive Not Survive
2nd and 4th Wed. of the month,10-11:30 a.m.
St. Jude Community Services — Conference Room
130 West Bastanchury, Rd 92835
Laguna Hills – Thrive Not Survive
1st and 3rd Wed. of the month, 10-11:30 a.m.
Florence Sylvester Memorial Senior Center:
23721 Moulton Pwy. Laguna Hills 92653
Orange – Thrive Not Survive
1st and 3rd Tue. of the month, 7-8:30 p.m.
Park Plaza, 620 S. Glassell St., 92866
Fullerton – Comestibles (Aphasia)
Every Mon. 10-12 noon 1st Presbyterian Church,
838 N. Euclid 92832
Anaheim—Thrive Not Survive
4th Wednesday of the month, 7-8:30 p.m.
Kaiser Permanente Orange County—Anaheim
Medical Center, Bldg. 2, 4th floor, Rm CC2/CC3
3440 E. La Palma Ave. 92806
Irvine—Thrive Not Survive
2nd Wednesday of the month, 7-8:30 p.m.
Kaiser Permanente Orange County—Irvine
Medical Center, MOB2, 5th Floor, Rm C1
6640 Alton Pkwy Irvine, CA 92618
Garden Grove – Vietnamese Group
3rd Tue. of the month, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Acacia Adult Day Services,11391 Acacia
Pkwy, Garden Grove 92840
Garden Grove – Spanish Group
2nd Wed. of the month, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Acacia Adult Day Services, 11391 Acacia
Pkwy, 92840
Santa Ana – Spanish Group
3rd Wed. of the month, 9:30-11:00 a.m.
Sunflower Gardens
3730 S. Greenville St., 92704
Call our offices for additional support
groups
November is National Family
Caregiver Month
Page 4
Our mission is to increase the quality of life for caregivers by helping
families and communities master the challenges of care giving.
CRC SERVICES: AVAILABLE FOR CAREGIVERS — that’s YOU!
The Caregiver Resource Center (CRC) is a
trusted partner for Orange County families coping with the physical, emotional, and financial
responsibilities of care giving.
 Family Consultation
 Care Planning
 Education and Training
 Legal Workshops
 Support counseling
Dr. Pennebaker’s Basic Writing
Assignment
Over the next four days, write about your deepest
emotions and thoughts about the emotional upheaval
that has been influencing your life the most. In your
writing, really let go and explore the event and how it
has affected you. You might tie this experience to
your childhood, your relationship with your parents,
people you have loved or love now, or even your
career. Write continuously for 20 minutes.
The Caregiver Resource Center, a non profit program, is
funded in part by the California Department of Health Care
Services and the California Department of Aging and with
funds from the Federal Older Americans Act, as allocated
by the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Services are
free and donations are gratefully accepted. Visit our
website for more information on giving. Thank you for your
support.
Caregiver Resource Center
St. Jude Community Services
130 W. Bastanchury, Fullerton, CA 92835
Phone: 800.543.8312
Fax: 714.446.5996
Send a question or message via e-mail to our staff at:
ocrcuser@stjoe.org
Visit our web site
www.caregiveroc.org
 Support Groups
 Respite Planning
 Multicultural Services
 Caregiver Advocacy Network
 Information and Assistance
Dr. Pennebaker’s Tips for Writing to
Heal





Find a time and place where you won’t be disturbed
Write continuously for at least 20 minutes
Don’t worry about spelling or grammar
Write only for yourself
Write about something extremely personal and important
for you
 Deal only with events or situations you can handle now.
AARP’s I
♥ CAREGIVERS
I Heart Caregivers is a new website to collect
and share the stories of the unsung heroes we
call, family caregivers. Every day, this silent
army of husbands, wives, daughters, sons,
brother, sisters, and friends undertakes a great
labor of love.
AARP is a caregiver advocate and educator and
stories for I Heart Caregivers is an important way
to give family caregivers the voice – and recognition – they deserve.
Are you are a family caregiver? Were you one in
the past? Do you or have you had some caregiving help from a family member or friend? If
yes, please think about sharing your story.
Share your story today at:
www.aarp.org/iheartcaregivers