5 Ways to Improve Your Mental Health as a Senior Citizen
Each year, the first week of October is Mental Illness Awareness week. Over the past few decades, mental health has become an increasingly important topic to raise awareness on.
In the United States, more than 50% of adult Americans have a diagnosable mental illness or disorder, with 1 in 4 older adults struggling with mental health. Depression and dementia are most common in adults over 60, and anxiety affects nearly 4% of older adults. Senior citizens have the highest rate of suicide than any other age group, due to many factors like social isolation, bodily changes, relocating, and deaths of loved ones.
The good news is, mental health disorders are treatable. Alongside talking to a doctor about any concerns, there are a variety of ways to improve your mental health and stay in good spirits.
Play Games that Challenge Cognitive Function
An active brain is a healthy brain! As we age, our brains need stimulation to remain sharp and avoid cognitive decline. Participating in brain games regularly helps boost processing speed, reaction time, and short-term memory.
Reading and writing, playing a musical instrument, learning a new language, practicing art, and playing puzzles and games like Sudoku and crosswords are all great ways to improve your brain’s cognitive function.
Get Active
Exercising often is incredibly beneficial for both your brain and your body, especially as you age. Low-impact exercises, like yoga, swimming, and walking, are the perfect exercises to reduce the risks of bone fractures, joint pain, and other chronic illnesses. Exercising is also a great way to manage stress, depression, and anxiety in seniors.
Connect with Friends and Family
For older adults, getting older can mean losing contact with old friends and feeling isolated from family. Feelings of isolation and loneliness can quickly lead to depression and mental decline.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to stay connected to new and old friends in today’s world. Learning how to use social media, Facetime, and/or Skype is a great way to check in regularly with loved ones that live far away. Scheduling weekly phone calls with family or writing letters is also a good way to keep in touch.
Adopt a Furry Best Friend
Adopting a dog or cat has proven beneficial factors for mental health. According to the National Institutes of Health, having a pet can lead to decreased levels of cortisol, a stress related hormone, reduced blood pressure, combat feelings of loneliness, increase social support, and boost your overall mood.
If you’re unable to have a pet, consider volunteering at local animal shelters. Regular contact with animals can still provide mental and physical improvement.
Give Back to the Community
Retirement can often lead to a lack of purpose in day-to-day life. Volunteering for organizations that you feel passionate about is a great way to combat those feelings. There is no shortage of need for volunteers at food banks, animal shelters, libraries, and hospitals.
Not only does volunteering provide a sense of purpose and self, but it’s also the perfect opportunity to socialize and stay connected to your community.
Mental health is extremely important for everyone to take care of, especially seniors. Making an effort to do one (or all) of the different ways to take care of your mental health listed above can dramatically improve your overall quality of life.
