Stress Release for Seniors

April 26, 2016/  No CommentsIt feels like our lives are ruled by stress from whatever life throws at us. Unfortunately, as we age, the stress doesn’t necessarily go away. It is important to learn how to reduce stress in healthy ways, and that is true for seniors as well. Most seniors are experiencing stress from a variety of things, and it can have a negative effect on their lives if it isn’t managed well enough.
Causes of Stress for Seniors
People may think that since seniors have fewer responsibilities, they must have less stress as a result. However, stress for seniors is caused by many experiences that they may not have dealt with before. Here are a few things that can cause stress for seniors:

• Grief – It is very difficult to deal with the loss of a friend or a loved one. Trying to manage grief while trying to keep up with everything else in their lives can cause a great deal of stress in seniors.
• Moving into a new place – Moving to a new home is physically and emotionally exhausting. Stress is often caused by choosing where to live, packing up belongings, finding a way to transport boxes, and saying goodbye to your familiar surroundings. This can be a major upheaval in a senior’s life, and can be stressful adjusting to the change.
• Newly diagnosed health condition – It can be shocking to learn that you have developed a new health condition. Learning more about it, how it will affect your life, and how to manage it can add much more stress to your life.
• Injuries – Being injured adds extra pain and inconvenience to a senior’s everyday life that they wouldn’t necessarily have otherwise. Making extra accommodations for themselves may be necessary and managing pain and symptoms can cause stress, especially if the injury needs time to heal.
• Retiring – Retirement is a major life change for seniors who have been used to working full time, or even part time for their whole life. It can be stressful as seniors find their new identity as a retired individual and they often have to adjust to using retirement funds instead of the salary they are used to.
• Full-time job –  For those who haven’t retired, working full time can be tiring as you get older. Some people may be dealing with new challenges that are health-related or may just be slowing down. It can be stressful keeping up with a full-time job when dealing with these other things as you age.
• Starting a new job – Some seniors may decide to work part-time as a hobby. Starting a new job can be stressful as you learn new things and try to form a routine. In addition, this leaves less time for seniors to take care of other things they need to get done outside of work.
• Any major life changes – restructuring your life after any sort of big change can be a setup for stress in any person’s life. It is important to recognize when these events happen so that you can take the proper steps to manage it.

Effects of Stress on Health
The immune system can become weaker as we get older, which can make it easier for seniors to get sick. According to the American Institute of Stress, stress can decrease our ability to protect ourselves against inflammation in conditions such as atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, arthritis, Type 2 diabetes, cancers, and dementia. In addition to these, stress is linked to the six leading causes of death. This includes cancer, heart disease, lung ailments, cirrhosis of the liver, accidents, and suicide.
According to PsychCentral, Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress. As we age, it becomes even more important to reduce stress in order to stay healthy and lessen the chances of getting sick. Besides the major illnesses that can be caused by stress, it can cause minor symptoms that interfere with everyday life. These include fatigue, headache, upset stomach, muscle tension, chest pain, and sleep problems. Your mood can change as well, resulting in anxiety, irritability, depression, and restlessness.
Being aware that stress involves much more risk than you realize is important for prioritizing stress relief techniques as part of your daily routine. If you continue to make efforts towards reducing your stress, in the long run your stress levels should stay under control.
How to Know if Your Senior Loved One is Stressed
Seniors may try to hide their stress like everyone else does. Some may not realize how stressed they are until they take some time to enjoy themselves and relax. If you have elderly loved ones, it can be helpful to keep an eye out for certain moods and behavior that may indicate that they are dealing with a lot of stress. Some behaviors to look out for include:

• Angry outbursts
• Overeating or Undereating
• Increased tobacco/alcohol use
• Social Withdrawal
• Crying spells
• Relationship conflicts
• Forgetfulness
• Insecurity

If you see your loved one exhibiting any of these behaviors, try to talk to them about what is worrying them. If there is anything specific they need to reduce stress, see if you can accomplish it together. Otherwise, encourage them to participate in some stress relieving activities, or join them if you have time.
How to Relieve Stress
Fortunately, stress can be managed if you take the time to pursue stress relief tactics. Some stress relief tactics are more active, but there are plenty of other ways to relieve stress for seniors who aren’t as mobile.
Active Ways to Relieve Stress

• Taking a walk – Taking a walk alone or with a companion is a good way to reduce stress and get some fresh air. Being active in general can help you work off some of the stress you have.
• Yoga – Many yoga studios offer restorative or beginner level classes that are good for seniors. If you aren’t comfortable going to a group class, many free yoga videos are available online.
• Swimming – Swimming is a great way to exercise without putting stress on your joints It is a great way to cool off when the weather is warm, too!
• Gardening – Whether you start tending your own garden, decide to take care of a specific plant, test your hand at growing vegetables, or maybe helping a friend with theirs, you can relieve stress with a green thumb.
• Chair exercises – If you don’t have a lot of time to exercise, doing chair exercises is a good way to get moving in whatever amount of time you have.
• Dancing – Dancing is a fun activity that seniors can do to their favorite music. This is a great activity to do with friends to unwind.
• Play with a pet – Pets have proven to be able to improve moods and be great companions for seniors. Spending time with a furry friend can help you de-stress in no time. There are many organizations that provide therapy animals for those who would like to play with a pet but don’t have any of their own.
• Go shopping – Some people love to go shop, and looking at new things while walking around can help take your mind away from worrying.

Less Active Ways to Relieve Stress

• Puzzles – Puzzles are good for mental stimulation, but can also be a fun activity to spend time on.

• Coloring books – While you may think that coloring books are only for kids, there has been a new trend for adult coloring books. With beautiful designs and outlines, you can spend some time coloring your stress away.
• Reading – Reading a book can allow you to escape into a new story. This allows you to take time away from worrying about other things in your life, and give you some time for yourself.
• Stretching – For seniors who are less mobile, going through some stretching exercises can help you move your body without straining yourself with full exercise activity.
• Listening to music – Put on some of your favorite music to wind down and maybe dance a little! Music has soothing properties that can help you de-stress including lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety.
• Crafting – Crafting is great way to relieve stress, and it can result in something great as well! Whether you decide to knit, crochet, paint, scrapbook, or something else, crafting can help you manage stress as well.
• Writing – Whether you are writing down your thoughts, writing a poem or story, or writing a letter, writing can help you channel your thoughts and relieve stress from things you have been worrying about.
• Watching a movie/TV – Many people enjoy following a TV show, or have a list of their favorite movies. Spending an hour or two relaxing and watching something you like can be stress-relieving.  
• Spend time with friends and family – Spending quality time with the people you love can make anyone happier. This allows you to de-stress knowing you have people you can count on who you enjoy being with.

Health Benefits of Relieving Stress
If not feeling stressed isn’t enough incentive to try and de-stress on a frequent basis, relieving stress has multiple benefits for your health both physically and mentally.
Physical benefits from stress relief

• Improved immune system
• Less muscle tension/aches
• More energy
• Improved sleep
• Better digestion

Mental benefits from stress relief

• Mood stabilizes
• Thoughts become clearer
• Ability to improve relationships
• Reduced anxiety

As you can see, staying stress-free is incredibly important to your well-being. Picking a stress relief activity can be a step towards improving your physical and mental health. Plus, many of these stress relief activities can be very enjoyable for people. Choosing a stress relief activity can even give you a new hobby or help you find other things you enjoy that you haven’t tried before while improving yourself at the same time