tips: 5 Tips for Managing Stress in Seniors

Managing stress in seniors is not as challenging as it seems. Stress is a common physical, mental, and emotional reaction or response to life's ever-increasing demands, especially change. Any event or thought that causes you to experience strong emotions can cause stress. One advantage that the older community has is that they have lived for a long time, and have likely experienced a wide range of stressors and changes during their lives.

Stress in seniors frequently shows itself physically, prompting health issues. Frequent headaches, sleep issues, insomnia, exhaustion (both physical and mental), muscle tension, discomfort, chest pain, stomach upset, and other symptoms can be warning indicators of stress.

5 Tips for Managing Stress in Seniors

There are various reasons why adults, especially older adults, experience stress. You might go through it as a result of dealing with a chronic disease, losing a spouse, providing care, or adjusting to changes brought on by shifting financial circumstances, or retirement.

Here are some suggestions to keep in mind to assist with managing stress in seniors:

1. Try New Things

Whether old or young, trying new skills is important for your mental health. (Image via Pexels/ kampus Production)

A common stereotype of old age is that older people can't learn new skills. Research clearly demonstrates that no one is too old to learn or adopt a new skill. Dopamine, one of the brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, is released by novelty. Aside from providing challenges and reducing boredom, the benefit of trying new things is that we need both to feel fulfilled.

You might discover a brand-new activity, such as baking, knitting, or drawing, or you can finally begin the home renovation project you have been considering, even if it is one small step at a time. By learning a new skill, you can gain much-needed confidence and manage stress levels.

2. Befriend a Pet

Isolation is one of the main causes of stress in seniors. Those who are lonely and bored may develop depression due to excessive levels of anxiety. However, having a pet can enhance confidence and reduce stress since it offers a sense of companionship.

If your loved one doesn't want the responsibility of being a full-time pet owner, he or she can pet sit for family and friends. He or she can also devote a few hours a month to volunteering at the neighborhood animal shelter. Having a companion can significantly manage stress in seniors.

3. Conscious Eating & Exercising

Conscious living is healthy living for seniors. (Image via Pexels/ Mikhail Nilov)

To manage stress in seniors, they need to be cautious about the food they eat, particularly sweets and saturated fats. These meals may increase the body's production of stress hormones, raising the risk of depression. However, foods like asparagus, blueberries, salmon, almonds, oatmeal, spinach, kale, and dark chocolate can help manage stress in seniors. Healthy diets help older folks manage their stress levels better.

Meanwhile, exercising also contributes to managing stress in seniors. Endorphins, which are commonly referred to as "natural painkillers," are soothing and mood-enhancing brain chemicals that are produced as a result of physical activity. Additionally, it creates new brain cells, elevates our moods, improves circulation, facilitates sleep, and enlarges the hippocampus, which is the area of the brain responsible for learning and memory, which shrinks with age.

All of these things reduce stress in seniors by enhancing cognitive function, mental and physical health, as well as cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscle health.

4. Yoga and Meditation

Another method of reducing stress in seniors is meditation and other yogic practices. By maintaining steady breathing, practicing self-reflection, identifying thoughts and feelings, cultivating gratitude, and focusing on calming your racing thoughts and stabilizing your heartbeat, you will be able to regulate your stress levels. The skill of mindfulness enables seniors to let go of their problems and stay in the present.

Focus, take deep breaths in and out, and sit up straight. To help beginners with meditation, one popular technique is to focus on the aspects of your life for which you are most grateful. Meditation fosters gratitude and empathy in this way. Therefore, it is a great stress-reduction technique for people with dementia, Alzheimer's, and anxiety.

5. Organise Your Surroundings

Decluttering is a great way to reduce stress in seniors. (Image via Pexels/ Andrea Piacquadio)

To ease tension, you should organize, clean, and declutter your living space. A messy environment might cause excessive stress in seniors. Your cluttered wardrobe and dusty shelves may seem like ominous impediments that never seem to go away.

By getting rid of those physical impediments through organizing, decluttering, and cleaning, you free your thoughts and eventually feel happier and more at ease because of the weight that has usually been lifted or wiped off both physically and figuratively.

It has been demonstrated through science that all three of these activities can lower stress and increase creativity. Clean up your furniture, logically reposition your bookcases, and donate unneeded or unwanted items to those in need. If this is a difficult task or a cause of additional stress for you, seek help from caregivers who are available to support you or pick up the mop alongside you.

Takeaway

A variety of techniques can be used to manage stress in seniors. Remember that everyone has different coping mechanisms that suit them best, so you might need to attempt a few stress-relieving exercises before you find one that suits you. It's crucial to be kind and patient with yourself, regardless of whether you decide to meditate, exercise, seek counseling, or attempt any other stress-management technique.

Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.

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