Category: genealogy

revisiting genealogy as calming distraction…

I’ve written before about genealogy (as well as looking through old newspapers) serving as calming distraction for me. I enjoy genealogical research and exploring old newspapers anyway, but the calming and distracting aspects for me add to their benefits.

As so often happens, I’ve had periods lately of intense anxiety. I spend time with my usual tools and helpers: painting, praying, porch time, reading, brain retraining, hanging out with my husband, watching “comfort” shows, talking with friends…and, yes, spending time with genealogy (and newspapers.com and findagrave.com and facebook groups focused on the history of my family’s area).

Trying to fit the puzzle pieces together that make up my family tree. Researching places and businesses where my relatives worked or spent time. Learning about what was going on when my great-grandparents (and beyond) were alive.

Doing this gives my brain something to focus on instead of fearful thoughts about the future.

Although any aspect of this can be helpful and enjoyable and lead to new discoveries or confirmations, there are certain things that have captured my attention in a deeper way. I turn to these again and again as I try to learn more about them.

My father’s paternal grandparents fall into this category. An old abandoned and mostly-vanished factory cemetery is another one. A long-standing building in my hometown is also on my list. Another is a church that, over the last 130-plus years, has changed names and merged and moved.

I dip in and out of researching these people and places. They are smaller “pet projects” under the larger umbrella of genealogy and local research, and they give me familiar things I can pull out and give attention to whenever I want.

They are calming distractions I keep in my toolbox of things that help when the anxiety is high…or things I can focus on simply because I want to spend time with them.

I don’t know if I’ll ever uncover more details or find more answers to the questions I have about these people and places, but I enjoy the exploration.

And that’s why I keep on researching.

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old newspapers as calming distraction…

It might seem strange to say that exploring decades-old newspapers brings me a sense of calm, but it does. The history. The tidbits of social information. The photographs and advertisements of stores and restaurants that no longer exist.

I like it all. And it provides a way to occupy my mind and distract me from anxious thoughts – with the added benefit of learning things that can help me with my genealogical and historical explorations. The main site I use is newspapers.com because it has the papers for the locations I’m exploring. But there are other options too.

As I’ve mentioned before, genealogy is one of my hobbies (and is also something that serves as calming distraction for me) and newspapers have provided lots of information about generations of family members. There are the expected wedding announcements and obituaries, but I’ve also discovered things I knew nothing about: unexpected photos and news articles about relatives.

In addition to genealogical research, I also turn to old newspapers for help with my writing, especially when it comes to fiction. My novel, New Life in New Melody (and its earlier version, In New Harmony), takes place in 1943, and I’m currently working on a sequel set in 1944. Exploring newspapers from back then, especially the one published in my novels’ geographic location, has led to lots of helpful information and historically accurate slice-of-life tidbits for my stories.

Since not all news is pleasant or happy, I try to pay attention to my emotional and mental capacity, and I don’t tackle heavier-duty research topics on days I don’t feel up to it. But usually, looking through old papers provides me with interesting distractions that actually help me deal with anxiety. It transports me to another place, a different time, and other lives that aren’t my own.

In recent months, I’ve posted about a few different things that work for me when it comes to providing some calming distraction from life, stress, and anxiety. Exploring old newspapers might be an unexpected one – but sometimes we find help in unexpected places.

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genealogy as calming distraction…

In some of my posts the past few months, I’ve talked about things I do for calming distraction. These activities are valuable parts of my days and weeks as I continue to navigate life with severe anxiety. They help shift my thinking out of the loops of fearful catastrophizing that my brain can do. They help me relax into the moment and keep my focus on what I’m doing at the present time, instead of worrying about what might be ahead.

Genealogy is one of those calming and distracting activities for me.

And apparently I’m not alone when it comes to genealogy being a helpful way to spend time. In the American Ancestors newsletter from January 31, 2025, they state:

Research indicates that engaging students in family history research can have a positive impact on their mental well-being. Studies suggest that genealogy can contribute to lower anxiety levels and increased resilience in the face of challenges.

To be honest, I’m not sure if I’ve received increased resilience in the face of challenges. But the part about lower anxiety is definitely true for me. Spending time doing genealogy hasn’t been a permanent fix – the calming distraction, for me, has so far been temporary. But I’ll gladly take temporary respite over constant feelings of stress and high anxiety.

My relationship with genealogy has been off-and-on going back to my teenage years, and there have been big gaps of time between my dives into family history. This time around, I’ve been fairly consistent with my genealogy hobby since autumn 2020.

I spend time with the physical notebooks and binders and printouts of genealogy research I’ve accumulated over the years, and I spend time researching online at places like Ancestry and FamilySearch.

For the past few years, I’ve been blending research about my family with research about the local histories of where they lived – especially the history of my hometown. I especially like to find maps and pictures and information about streets and stores and churches and workplaces where my ancestors would have spent time.

All of this helps me by distracting me from whatever unpleasant or worrying thing that might be going on. It gives me somewhere else to temporarily place my focus – literally, in the case of genealogy and historical research, putting my attention on another place and another time.

Have you dipped into genealogy as a hobby?

If not, you might want to give it a try and see if it captures your attention and interest. If you find it boring or frustrating, then pass it by. But if you find it to be a calming distraction, maybe it will help you too.

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