Stress Management For Seniors Checklist
April 26, 2016
Stress affects us at all ages and stages in life — no one is immune to it. As we age, we may experience more stress, since many of us worry about our health, our finances, and our spouses. Elderly stress, however, can take more of a toll on overall health than stress we experience earlier in life. It’s important to understand your stress and learn how to overcome it in order to live a healthy life.
What Causes Stress
Nothing in life is perfect, so there are often things to worry about. Stress in the elderly can often stem from money troubles — the worrying about not having saved enough for retirement or outliving your savings. Add health concerns to that list, and it becomes easy to stress out not only about how you are going to pay for medical treatments, but also how to mentally handle a new diagnosis.
Family is also a major stressor, since, as parents you never stop worrying about your children, even after they’ve grown up. Family also has the ability to push your buttons unlike any other people in your life, and it’s easy to fall into a stressful, unhealthy pattern of behavior with loved ones.
How to Overcome Stress
It’s important to learn how to overcome stress in a positive way in order to thrive. Figuring out new stress management techniques can help you identify when stress is coming on and how to cut it off at the pass.
Our most recent customer survey revealed the great ways that our own customers currently deal with stress. Highlighting the best responses, we’ve put together this Stress Management for Seniors Checklist to help you navigate stressful situations of your own:
1. Exercise
Whether you are taking a long walk or going for a jog, hitting the pavement (or the gym) when you feel stressed is an excellent way to release tension. Swapping out the toxic hormones that stress releases into your body with happy-inducing endorphins will not only perk you up, but also provide the clarity of mind needed to find a solution to your problems.
2. Friends
The friendships you’ve made over the years can be a great resource for you when you are stressed out. Friends can provide you with a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, or an insightful brainstorm session for problem solving. The emotional weight that is lifted by sharing your burden with someone who cares about you will be worth it.
3. Meditation
Buddhist monks have incorporated a regular meditation practice into their lives for centuries, and for good reason. Meditation is a great way to help slow your heart rate, calm your mind, and keep you stress-free.
4. Prayer
The power of prayer has helped people work through problems both big and small for thousands of years. Regardless of your religion, any house of worship that makes you feel comfortable and safe can serve as a safe haven from stress, especially if you have a priest or a rabbi who you can confide in.
5. Work
No matter how old you are, immersing yourself into a new project can be a wonderful and positive distraction from stress. And if you’re already retired, this kind of project work can still apply to volunteer opportunities you take on. Volunteering is a great way to overcome stress because you can focus your energy on helping others, who are most likely less fortunate than you are.
6. Read
Reading a book by your favorite author can be a great escape from stress. Research has shown that reading a book when you are feeling stressed can reduce your stress levels by 68 percent, proving to be more effective than listening to music, drinking a cup of tea or taking a walk. Check out our 2016 book recommendations!
7. Stay Active
Hobbies and passions like gardening, golf and cooking are wonderful ways to connect to the things that you love while also occupying your mind. Participating in activities that help to keep you engaged in the task at hand are not only wonderful stress relievers, but also leave you with a sense of accomplishment when you’re done.
How do you handle stress? Want to talk more about ways to manage stress and how to live a more stress free life? Join us on Facebook or Twitter!
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