Activity Title: What To Hold onto and What To Let Go Of

Sources:

Ackerman, C. E., MA. (2021, July 15). 83 Benefits of Journaling for Depression, Anxiety, and

Stress. PositivePsychology.Com. https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-of-journaling/

Mehlomakulu, C. (2020, March 28). What Do You Need To Hold On To And Let Go Of? – A

Creative Exercise. Creativity in Therapy.

https://creativityintherapy.com/2017/10/what-do-you-need-to-hold-on-to-and-let-go-of-a-

creative-exercise/

Equipment Needed:

● Piece of paper

● Writing tools (can be singular or a range of colors by choice)

Activity Description:

● Explain the benefits of journaling of reflecting on the positives and negatives in life

● Tell the participants to get a piece of paper and writing tool

● Tell the participants to choose a way to divide their paper

○ Circle in the middle of page

○ Two hands

○ A heart

● Give the participants two minutes to write down all the things in their lives they want to

hold on to on the appropriate section of their paper

● Give the participants another two minutes to write all the things they want to let go of in

life in the appropriate section of their paper

 ● Allow participants to share out if they choose, but this is a personal activity and does not

require sharing

● Next I will have the participants turn their paper over and draw a line down the middle

● I will give the participants two minutes to write down ways that they can actively foster

and engage in the things that they want to hold onto in line

● I will then give the participants two minutes to write down ways to rid their lives of the

things that they want to let go of

● Lastly we will debrief on the activity and its benefits

Primary Social Interaction Patterns:

● This activity is primarily extra-individual. The activity is meant for self reflection and it

is completed by oneself with only them and the materials needed that they will engage

with. It does not require interaction with others and may be something individuals choose

not to discuss as it is meant for personal reflection and use.

Adaptation:

● Onset dementia impairs one's memory and tends to cause them to forget more short term

memory first like forgetting what they ate the day before or recent things that happened

and over time causes them to lose memories earlier in their lives. Since this is a cognitive

activity they may need some reminders as to what they are working on and the task

depending on how severe their memory loss is. This activity could be very beneficial to

individuals with dementia as it can help them to reflect on things in life that they want to

hold onto such as their family and specific memories. This can help them to narrow down

things they want to focus on and keep as active memories to try to combat dementia. This

could further be used in reminiscence therapy to help them choose memories to reflect
 and focus on based on what they choose to hold onto in life. It can additionally allow

them to relieve some stress of things they want to let go of and not reflect and worry

about as much so they can focus on important things to them especially late in life.

Activity Analysis Form:

Activity: __Things to hold onto and things to let go of________________

PHYSICAL ASPECTS:
1. What is the primary body position required?
____lying down __x__sitting ____ other: ___________________
____kneeling ____standing
2. What body parts are required?
__x__arms ____feet ____upper torso
__x__hands ____neck ____lower torso
____legs ____head
3. What types of movements does the activity require?
____bending ____punching ____reaching
____stretching ____catching __x__grasping
____standing ____throwing ____skipping/hopping
____walking ____hitting ____running
4. What are the primary senses required for the activity?
____touch ____sight ____smell
____taste ____hearing
5. What is the amount of coordination and movement between body parts required
by the activity?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
6. What is the degree of hand-eye coordination needed for the activity?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
7. What is the degree of strength needed for the activity?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
8. What is the degree of speed needed for the activity?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
9. What is the degree of endurance needed for the activity?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
10. What is the degree of flexibility needed for the activity?
 Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little

SOCIAL ASPECTS
1. What is the primary social interaction pattern required in the activity?
____intraindividual (action taking place within the mind or action involving the mind and
a part of the body; requires no contact with another person or external object)
__x__Extraindividual (action directed by a person towards an object; requires no contact
with another person)
____Aggregate (action directed by a person toward an object while in the company of
other persons who also are directing actions toward objects; action is not directed toward
each other; no interaction required among participants)
____Interindividual (action of a competitive nature directed by one person toward
another)
____unilateral (action of a competitive nature among three or more persons, one of whom
is an antagonist; interaction is in simultaneous competitive relationship)
____Multilateral (action of a competitive nature by two or more persons with no one
person as an antagonist)
____Intragroup (action of a cooperative nature by two or more persons intent upon
reaching mutual goal; action requires positive verbal or nonverbal interaction)
____Intergroup (action of a competitive nature between two or more intragroup)
2. What is the minimum (fewest) and maximum (greatest) number of people
required for the activity?
__1__minimum number __1__maximum number
3. What clothing is needed to be socially appropriate?
a. Any casual clothing, does not require special clothing
4. How much physical proximity is required by the activity?
Close 1 2 3 4 5 Distant
5. How much physical contact is required by the activity?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
6. What degree of communication is required by the activity?
Hight 1 2 3 4 5 Low
7. What degree of noise is generated by the activity?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
COGNITIVE ASPECTS
 1. How many rules are required in the activity?
Many 1 2 3 4 5 Few
2. How complex are the rules to understand?
Complex 1 2 3 4 5 Simple
3. What degree of strategy is required in the activity?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
4. What degree of complexity is involved in scoring?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
5. What degree of long-term memory is required in the activity?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
6. What degree of short term or immediate recall is required in the activity?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
7. What degree of verbalization of thought process is required in this activity?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
8. What degree of concentration is required in the activity?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
9. What degree of concrete thinking is required by the activity?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
10. What degree of abstract thinking is required by the activity?
Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
11. To what degree are each of the following skills used in the activity?
Reading Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Writing Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Math Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Spelling Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
12. To what degree does the participant need to identify or use the following?
Form & shape Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Colors Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Size Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Numbers Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Body parts Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Directionality Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
AFFECRIVE ASPECTS
1. To what degree does the participant have the opportunity or outlet to express the
following?
Joy Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
 Guilt Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Pain Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Anger Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Fear Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Frustration Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little

2. To what degree must the participant control or inhibit the expression of the
following?
Joy Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Guilt Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Pain Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Anger Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Fear Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
Frustration Much 1 2 3 4 5 Little
ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECTS
1. What type of leadership style is required by the activity?
____specific activity-skill expertise __x__supervisory
____general activity skill expertise ____no specific leadership style needed
2. What type of equipment is needed for the activity?
__x__specific commercial product (specify: _Just paper and a writing utensil___)
____can be made (specify: ____)
____no equipment required
3. What type of facility is required by the activity?
____specific natural environment (specify: ____)
____specific created environment (specify: ____)
__x__no specific environment required
4. What is the duration of the activity?
__x__set time
____natural end
____continuous
5. What is the number of participants required for the activity?
__x__any number can participate
____fixed number or multiple (specify: ____)
From:

Peterson, C. A., & Stumbo, N. J. (2009). Therapeutic recreation program design: Principles and

procedures(5th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Pearson Benjamin Cummings.