I was looking at journal prompts for remembering the past. I discarded visual prompts like ‘describe your room growing up’ because I have no visual memory. But even the other prompts are equally frustrating, like what sounds or meals remind you of the past. And nothing comes to mind. So, either I have a worse memory than I thought, I had an unusual childhood (well…), or I was more traumatized than I thought.

So, no reliving the past with journal prompts. I tried. I love lists, so I’ll do a list prompt.

List 5 things that you can focus on that stop you from thinking, such as sensory experiences and/or engrossing activities.

• Listening to music (not all the time – I wish!)
• Quiet with no people within 1,000 feet.
• A good, engrossing book or podcast.
• A hot shower (see note below).
• Being in the sauna. (it’s been years…)

Tough question. I’m always thinking, so “stopping me from thinking” is impossible. I was going to say take a hot shower, but one of the perks of showering is being able to think clearly. Being in the sauna is probably the best one because I’m only thinking, “it’s so hot” and “I can’t wait to get out of here.” If it’s supposed to be pleasant, oh well. I still LOVE the sauna.

Hmmm. Maybe I can do that once or twice a year. But I have to think about things like whether I need to repair my car and whether I will even have one. So, no sauna stuff for now.