Who doesn't recall sitting at the feet of some beloved old sage and hearing their stories of happiness and joy and fun in days gone by? Truth is, they enjoyed the telling as much as we enjoyed the listening. And turns out, now that it's us doing the telling, reminiscence is a healthy behavior, one that we ought to learn to cultivate, control, and continue.

With all the chatter around mindfulness and savoring, living in the moment, it's important for us to step back and enjoy the power of reminiscence: getting the most out of moments gone by and already lived. Moments of awe and excitement and happiness. Remembering love and serenity. Moments that brought joy. Feelings of sheer determination and enthusiasm for life. With a bit of intention, reminiscence has the power to crowd out negative emotion and less beneficial thinking. Intentional reminiscing can provide us with the hope and optimism we need to imagine a future to enjoy as well.

Scientific studies have demonstrated that positive reminiscence can significantly improve health and well-being. Many researchers describe the benefits of reminiscence for cognitively impaired individuals, and, for others, positive reminiscence is known to reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. Surprisingly, in one study individuals were found to have fewer episodes of physical illness following a program of intentional reminiscence three months after the prescribed activity! Seems practicing the art and act of intentional reminiscing can build the psychological and physical resources we need to negotiate the future before us. So, let's look at some activities you can do to develop this skill!

Create an actual treasure trove of memories.

Yes, go get a treasure chest, one that will hold the artifacts of your life's positive experiences. Small things, but things that evoke positive memories for you. You probably already have those things stashed away and its time to bring them together. Ticket stubs-that one from the theater where you got your first kiss. Receipts for purchases you never forgot-the prom dress, the wedding dress, maybe. A blue ribbon from the science fair that you use as a bookmark all these years later. The recipe for brownies your mom wrote out while you stood at the counter helping her make them. The tiny cobalt blue bottle from the Evening in Paris cologne you adored for so many years. And do continue to add to your treasure chest. You still have memories to make of course!

Oh, don't you feel excited just thinking about the artifacts you might put in your treasure chest! To help you get started, keep a running list of joy-filled experiences as you think of them. Consider what artifacts you still have to match or, you may need to purchase them now. I recently bought a matchbox-sized white Dodge truck for a friend who drove just that vehicle down a dusty country road years ago! And for my own treasure chest, I recently came across a writing tablet from somebody's first grade. It smelled just like it did when I learned the joy of putting a fat pencil to wide-ruled paper so many years ago! Even keeping the list can be a tool to help you to build a habit of intentional reminiscence.

Perhaps, it is time to visit some places you once knew well. And some people you haven't seen in a while. I recently looked up my freshman year college roommate and we spent a wonderful day together driving around in my Jeep while she pointed out things I had forgotten from those days gone by. Lots of opportunities to reminisce and to pick up artifacts to help you carry that joy forward.

Build a memory garden.

Now that doesn't have to be an actual garden. It can be a purposely designed drive you take to help you focus your reminiscence. I recently went through a time of adversity and found that escaping to 1975 helped me to avoid the inevitable anxiety I felt when trying to deal with it. When that feeling hit-you know the tight chest you get when you are about to think of things you shouldn't-I'd get up and fire up Reba (the Red Wrangler that is) and off we'd go. Large McCafe coffee with lots of cream and crank up the Eagles, or Creedence, or Bob Seger, etc. Ponytail, bare feet, windows down. Let the intentional reminiscence begin. And pretty soon my memory drive clears the nasty from my mind!

Maybe you acquired a talent for scrapbooking back when it was all the rage. You can still get those supplies and what a way to stimulate reminiscence! Do tell me you still have a box or two of photos on the top shelf of your closet! Well, time to work them up into a glorious book of memories you can use now and leave to the next queenager in your family! Doesn't have to be fancy, just thoughtful.

Oh, but it can be an actual garden. Yeah, that was me. Love gardening and it is so helpful in terms of joyous thinking while I am getting exercise. Especially what I call the MY Garden (MY for my youth). Plants I have in there: Penny Lane irises, The Joker peony, Happy Jack clematis, Grateful Red irises, Wild Horses and China Grove daylilies, American Pie and Blue Bayou dahlias, Take It Easy roses.... Well, I bet you got that! I can hear those songs in my head as I work and nourish so many happy memories!

Make journaling a regular part of your day.

Okay, I have at least 5 journals/notebooks/planners I write in every day so I had to throw this in here! (Any nurses among us can relate: if it wasn't documented it wasn't done!) Seriously, keeping a thoughts and feelings journal (not your events diary, that's different) is an excellent way to build intentional reminiscence. Here is where most of the research has been done. Research that shows just minutes a day recalling happy times on paper can actually raise your serotonin and dopamine levels! Think of what making that a regular habit can do! Intentional reminiscence is just that: intentional. You have to make it a scheduled, regular exercise, a dedicated time. However you choose to do it, just do it. And your journal is meant for you. Your own experiences. Your own reactions to them. Your own grammar and punctuation, or lack thereof. And once you get them on paper, you can always go back and relive those glorious days again and again. Like everything else, the more you put into this, the more you get out of it!

Of course, sharing your positive experiences will be helpful as well. To you, and likely to your peers. That's one joy of relating to people of your own age! Us queenagers had very similar happy experiences that people not our age don't even understand! Just start sharing and see how many others know exactly what you're talking about. How you felt. Indeed, smiles all around!

In conclusion...

I hope you have someone in your life who truly wants to hear your stories and you can provide that to them in as much detail as you want! Don't worry if you get some details wrong! You might actually remember them better than they were and that's okay! You do you! And I hope you choose to be that person for someone else. I hope you listen with rapt attention when a healthy, strong, and beautiful queenager shares her intensely positive experiences-the best stories of her life-with you. Even if it's the tenth time this year you've heard it! It was important to her to tell you and its important to you to share your stories with someone else. Hey, if you see me around, I promise to sit still and listen appreciatively and silently savor every word you choose to share!