The art of storytelling has long been a respected skill and an important tradition in many cultures. Over the course of history, community elders and their stories have been regarded as a treasure trove of society’s knowledge, history, and wisdom. Today, medical and social science researchers are interested in more than just the importance of storytelling as a means of teaching and entertaining.
The Effects of Storytelling on Brain Health
The ability to tell compelling stories may have provided some survival advantage in human evolution
- A growing number of people with dementia are benefiting from participating in group-based community storytelling, or reminiscence therapy
- Studies have looked at the impact the therapy has on both cognitive function and quality of life factors
How to Use Storytelling for Brain Health
While there is still research required to fully understand how reminiscence therapy may be used to benefit all aging populations, the current data suggests that are several benefits to storytelling
- Improved memory
- Better mood
- Improves interpersonal relationships
Reminiscence and Storytelling Tips
Get excited
- Smile
- Emotions are always interesting subjects
- Channel emotions
- Develop characters
- Make it short
- Use lots of details
- Pay attention to what people look like, how they move, what things feel like
