Each one of us has a personal time line which began the moment we were conceived, so do include any birth details (if you know about them)…and anything you have been told about when in utero, as well as your birth itself.
A timeline consists of highs and lows represented by our experiences and our emotions in these moments.
Putting this timeline on paper is an excellent way to record your life cycle.
It enables you to see vital information about your past life, helps to recognise achievements, and creates a sense of purpose for the future.
To create your personal timeline, the following steps can be used as a guideline:
- Take time out and find a quiet place where you will not be interrupted.
- You may feel more comfortable handwriting to start with…however, do transfer it to typewritten document.
- Write a detailed list of events if they pop up in your memory and any significant positive or negative milestones.
- Start first with the earliest lifestyle event you remember and move forwards into the present.
- If major events don’t come readily to mind, begin with what you do remember, then go back and fill in the details.
- For each lifestyle event, record the date and summarise it in a few words.
- Leave room for memories to emerge.
- Remember, this is private and confidential information and only you and I are privy to this information. Your timeline is not a part of the case study which is assessed.
- There is no right or wrong way to do this.
- It is deeply personal for you and the more honest you can be, the deeper we’ll be able to work together.
- Do endeavour to keep the events in your timeline in the correct order.
- Past lifestyle events can be hard to bring up and face…however, doing this can release old hurts and fears…so do tap as you write and note down these present emotions.
- Do include your medical history and if you have your medical diagnoses timeline, include those as well.
- Don’t expect to finish your personal timeline in one sitting. Take your time.
- You can continue to update it as new life events happen.
- Your personal timeline shouldn’t be just about the past; make it a living document which grows over the course of your life. It’s a useful document to keep adding to, now you’ve begun this integrated approach to your health.
- Include your dreams, hopes, aspirations and future goals too if you like.
Once you’ve completed your timeline to the best of your memory and knowledge, save the typed document in your preferred format (word for PC or pages for Mac) and then also save it in PDF to email to me with password protection.