Stress is not necessarily a bad thing, especially in the short term. But when stress is a constant part of your senior’s life, that brings with it a lot of damage. The human body isn’t meant to be stressed constantly. Doing what she can to help to reduce her stress levels can be a crucial part of your senior’s overall plan for improving her quality of life as much as possible.
Get Moving, if Her Doctor Agrees
Regular movement helps your elderly family member on multiple levels. But it’s important to talk to her doctor first. That helps to ensure that your senior is safe to start exercising. It also helps her to understand what her limitations are so that she’s not afraid to get started with exercise. Starting out slowly allows your senior to gradually ramp up her activity level, which can help her to stick with it.
Try Some Mindfulness Techniques
Mindfulness is a huge buzzword lately, but it does have some big benefits. Mindfulness is really just about being present on a moment by moment basis. When your elderly family member is practicing mindfulness, she’s paying close attention to the activity she’s engaged with at that time. If she’s eating, she’s chewing each bite, noting the tastes and textures, and noting when she’s full. These little tips help her to stay in touch with what’s happening.
Work on Positivity
Lots of situations are out of a person’s individual control. Trying to maintain that control can lead to way too much stress, especially when life takes things in a new direction. Staying positive isn’t about having an idealistic view of what’s going on, but it’s about practicing gratitude in the moment and letting go of those things that can’t be controlled.
Journal Her Feelings
Aging can bring up some big feelings, especially if your elderly family member is no longer able to do some of the things that she truly loves to do. Putting those feelings on paper can help your elderly family member to process them and to let them go. When that happens, it’s a lot easier to shed excess stress.
These ideas may require a little bit of help in order to come to fruition. Your senior’s challenges might be frustrating for her, which is another layer of stress. Having a caregiver to help her as needed can be far more beneficial than even your senior might realize right now.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering a Caregiver in Hollywood, CA please contact the caring staff at Nu Care Inc. today at. 800-505-6890