Stress management for elders

5 Relaxation Techniques for Anxiety in SeniorsNo matter how old you are, whether you are a young baby boomer or young-at-heart senior citizen, the Christmas holiday season can bring a tension like no other time throughout the year. If you are constantly feeling anxious or stressed out over finances, visits with family members that are not always as pleasant as you would like, or just plain rushed because Christmas seems to be pressing in upon you, that stress can manifest itself in many different ways. A few of the symptoms you may experience include muscle tension, headaches, chest pain and more.This is why relaxation techniques for anxiety are such an important way to relieve the tension and help your mind to feel calmer no matter how old you are. Here are five top relaxation ideas that might help you throughout this busy season of the year.1.Diaphragmatic Breathing: When we feel anxious we may start to hyperventilate, taking very shallow breaths. This is why one of the best relaxation techniques for anxiety is to breathe using the full capacity of your lungs. To do this, imagine that you’re breathing into your stomach instead of your chest. Your stomach should rise and fall each time you breathe in and out. You can use this technique anytime during the year when you feel anxious about your health, finances, or upcoming medical procedures.2.Visualization: Visualization is a good way of taking your mind away from whatever it is that’s making you feel anxious, and training it to feel more relaxed even during situations where you wouldn’t normally feel relaxed. Visualize in detail sights, sounds, smells and feelings that you would experience if you were in a location that made you feel relaxed and comfortable, like when you’re on vacation.3.Hypnosis: There are a number of hypnosis relaxation guides available. These will help to guide your mind away from thoughts that leave you feeling stressed or anxious, and can help take you through certain methods to help your body relax, such as progressive muscle relaxation. You can find many of these for free or low cost on the internet or in your local bookstore. Make sure you choose one related to your specific issue.4.Timed Breathing: If you are stressed and try to breathe deeply you may find it difficult and actually start to hyperventilate. Instead of trying to breathe deeply, for quick relaxation before or during anxious moments you can try timing your breathing. For example, try breathing in for a count of five, and out for a count of 7. Extending your out-breath helps relax your body’s nervous system and the counting gives you something else to focus your mind on.5.Improve Your Sleep: Although it’s not a relaxation technique in the same sense as those above, getting enough sleep is important for keeping you feeling physically and mentally relaxed. If you are like many other seniors, you will not require as much sleep as you used to when you were younger. However, when you don’t get enough sleep you may start to feel anxious, and if you feel anxious you may have trouble sleeping – a double-edged sword. Some tips include writing down any worries on a piece of paper before you go to sleep to help get them out of your mind. You should also avoid caffeine and only exercise early in the day.Establishing a daily routine helps to make sleep a lot easier. Make sure you go to bed at roughly the same time each day, don’t perform activities such as watching TV or using your laptop in bed, and try to wake up at the same time each day. These tips, in conjunction with practicing the relaxation techniques for anxiety mentioned above, will help to ensure you are feeling calm and relaxed throughout the day.http://www.eldercarecafe.net/5-relaxation-techniques-for-anxiety-in-seniors/The Importance of Stress Management for SeniorsYears ago we envisioned our golden years to be full of relaxation and stress free living; at least most of us did. Who in the world would want financial woes, family problems, or emotional upheavals to plague them as they entered their senior years? Most seniors look forward to living a life that allows them independence, the ability to pay their bills on time, the joy of gardening or playing golf to their heart’s content. They want to play with their grandchildren in a park or meet up with their buddies for a coffee and conversation. Certainly that would be most people’s idea of the perfect life.Although a life without problems is clearly unrealistic as to be the stuff of dreams, serious issues that cause stress and eventual ill health are not the sort of problems anyone wants. In later years, financial problems, death, illness and change can cause a person to undergo more stress and anxiety than they ever imagined.It is certainly not the end of the world when troubles pay you a visit. There are positive steps you can take to manage the accompanying stress. Exercise, the right diet, sufficient rest, indulging in activities that keep you stimulated, can all help you manage your stress levels.Why do you need to manage stress?It is no great leap of the imagination to realize that stress when not nipped in the bud can become unmanageable, ultimately leading to a host of illnesses. You need to be honest with yourself and recognize when stress rears its ugly head. Identifying the underlying stress factors will help you to deal more effectively with stress. We always have to go to the source to correct the problem.Maybe unimportant little problems mask the real problem lying deep inside. Once you know what is causing the stress in your life, you can evaluate how best you can handle the situation and the necessary action you need to take.What are the steps you can take to manage stress?1.Accept that a natural part of life’s cycle is growing old and reaching a stage where the body starts to slow down as does the mind. There will be many changes and adjustments to be made; you will now walk at a more sedate pace instead of rushing around doing things. You can tell yourself that this slowing down is okay; there’s a sense of dignity in growing older.2.You are sure to miss friends and coworkers and the bustle of an active working life. Even before you retire you should make plans and explore opportunities for new hobbies and activities you can get involved in. One great way to combat stress that stems from loneliness and inactivity is to get involved in volunteer organizations. It is only when we hear about other people’s misfortunes that we can truly be grateful for what we have.3.Finances can be a major stress factor. It is best to face up to the fact that a retirement income usually means living on a tighter budget. You can seek help from a financial planner who can advise you about the best types of investments to make to get a better rate of return. Be very careful who you approach for help; you don’t want to get scammed and lose what you have. 4.Physical activity is a great stress buster. Start walking, join a walking club or get a friend to walk with you. Gardening can be very therapeutic, just digging in the soft earth and planting things can really help take a load off your shoulders.5.Learn to breathe slowly and meditate on the positive things in your life. Start doing a few deep breathing and stretching exercises each morning. Both are great ways to reduce tension and prevent tension.When you start thinking about possible solutions, what action you can take and what the consequences of that action will be, you have already taken your first step (and it’s a big one!) to managing stress. You need to adopt the approach that believes in the principle ‘there is a solution to every problem’. Change can reduce the stress you are going through as you enter your senior years.http://www.eldercarecafe.net/the-importance-of-stress-management-for-seniors/