Living in a mental health clinic or seeking help from a mental health practitioner isn’t always someone’s first choice when they begin their transition into senior age. Sometimes we don’t want to admit that we’re getting older every day, but with age comes more wisdom and opportunities to work on our health! There’s an abundance of ways to boost your mind and body when you are nearing your senior age, be it trying a more natural diet, gaining help from a mental health clinic or seeking new exercise types. Learning more about your options now than later will help save major headache down the road.
Boosting Your Health
Staying vital and healthy can help you ward off the depression, anxiety, and stress that often comes with aging into our senior years. Here are simple things you can do, even from the comfort of your own home:
- Exercise as much as possible. If you like being outside and being one with nature, start jogging and going on hikes in your area so you can take in the sun and feel your best. Your mind and body are extremely connected so making sure that you take care of your heart and keep your muscles strong is key! If you rather do weight training, Zumba dancing, or like to do cardio in a gym then find a facility that helps you feel welcome in your neighborhood. Gaining age doesn’t mean that you have to be weaker, it all comes down to the actions you do every day to better yourself. Pick up some dumbbells or enroll in daily cycling class if you have to, you may even make new friends who will support your journey!If you have any physical limitations, try chair exercises from home or on a bench in the gym. A study published in August 2014 in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Associationfound that even just doing one 60-minute dance class a week led to significant improvements in symptoms of depression and anxiety. That’s a huge leap for your daily energy and wellness!
- If you crave social connection, join a local reading, art, music or jogging club that you enjoy. Engaging with people regularly helps boost our chemical levels of dopamine, the hormone responsible for helping us feel joyful during the day. It’s a feel good endorphin that significantly boosts a positive mindset and helps negative obstacles not feel as overwhelming. There are many groups now on Facebook or on local forums that bring people who are passionate about the same hobbies together. You can even make more trips to your local senior center and socialize there. If you enjoy doing bingo, definitely join in on a few rounds to make new friends. If bingo makes you snore with boredom, find something else that makes you feel excited to jump out of bed. You never know if you don’t try!
- Keep in touch with you family. Family time is the most important and helps us feel that all is right in the world. Schedule Facetime sessions and phone calls to catch up with your loved ones. Send emails, and even regular mail to help them feel special. Find ways to be included and visit often with family, especially grandchildren if you have any. Keep visits short if you get tired and know where your limits are. You don’t want to get stuck taking care of the kids and engaging in activities that you actually don’t enjoy. Communicate with your loved ones about what you like to do and how long you enjoy being outside or doing an activity. This way no hard feelings or pains of regret will boil up inside of you. No one wants to end up being a babysitter or a fly on the wall when they’re with their family.
- Keep your brain on its toes. When you’re retired and don’t have as much structure during your day after your career is over, your feelings of negativity or anxiety may come back up. Retirement doesn’t have to be boring and unfulfilling unless you make it out to be. Train your mind by going back to school, taking online classes, volunteering with others, and keeping yourself busy in general. Try an art class or study another language so you can broaden your horizons and make new connections with local people in the process!
- Gain help from psychiatric assisted living if you feel that you have delousing mental health and need help from a professional. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about when you want to improve the state of your body and mind. Enrolling in a program at a assisted living center can help you learn about mental health tips, living in sobriety, and making healthy connections with experts. You will have to live in a facility for a period of time, but being in closer contact with others your age and with professional counselors will make a far greater impact on your health!
Make Mental Health Fun
Today there’s many ways to work on your mental health that are enjoyable, engaging and educational. You’ll be surprised to learn how connected the body and mind is and even making simple changes in your daily routine and help you feel much better. Eating healthier, exercising more often, and making moves to engage with your friends or family is the key way to ensure you’re not feeling isolated or too down. If you still feel like you need help with mental health, don’t be afraid to ask for help and seek a senior living mental health facility who understands your needs! They have years of experience to help those approaching senior ages to keep their mind strong and encouraged to conquer the years ahead of them.
