Senior's Guide to Managing Stress

First of all, I'm not a physician or health expert of any kind. This information is from my own life experiences. Preventive medicine is always the best medicine.

Stress and changes cause physical, emotional and psychological strain. Feeling stress is just part of life, but too much stress can be overwhelming, especially for Seniors. It's essential to understand common causes of stress as well as how it affects the body and how it can be managed.

While us Seniors have had our fair share of stress over the years, moving into a new age range has its own unique set of challenges. Stress for those 65 and older can show up in many forms and be both positive and negative. Positive stress my come from exciting life events such as retirement, weddings and births, while negative stress may come from pain or mobility issues, death of loved ones and financial dependence.

Seniors are typically more susceptible to adverse physical reactions when it comes to stress because of age-related changes to the body.This is why it's important to identify stressors and work to reduce them as much as possible. Understanding how it personally affects you can lead to better long-term health.

In older adults, stress can cause health issues including high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Recognizing whether your stress is physical, mental or emotional can help get you on the right path to stress management.

Lowering stress can come from taking surprisingly simple steps:

• A healthy diet can facilitate a healthy immune system and repair damaged cells. See the Healthy Eating Plate Photo below.
• Consistent physical activity helps improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, diabetes and overall heart health. The American Heart Association recommends that adults participate in at least 150 minutes of physical activity every week. Popular exercises for Seniors include pickleball, walking and water aerobics. Interested in playing pickleball? Give me a call and I will be happy to teach you! It's not only great exercise, but the social aspect of it will help you meet new friends and have fun.
• Reflecting and connecting through Prayer, Reading the Bible, meditation, yoga and journaling reduces muscular tension, calms the mind and slows the heart rate. Set aside some time each day to breathe and focus on the positives.

You have to remember stress is a normal function of life. Stress is unavoidable at any age, but taking steps will help you to control or reduce the physical and mental strain it may cause. Always be aware of how your body responds to stress and the actions you can take to control its affects. If you continue to have stress related problems, contact your primary care provider.

PLAY PICKLEBALL!