Beginning of a new year, tax season, rainy and stormy weather, getting older, upcoming doctors visit, changing insurance plans. All of these situations in life have the potential to raise your stress levels. Stress can effect you both physically and mentally. Therefore, take measures to combat stress head on and learn about relaxation techniques for seniors.
Take a look at these relaxation techniques for seniors. See if you can apply any of these to your daily routine to help reduce your stress levels.
Gentle Exercise
Non-strenuous physical activity is a great way to reduce your stress. Find one you enjoy that will allow you to gently stretch and move your body on a daily basis. Some great options for seniors are Yoga, Tai Chi, Walking Groups, Water Aerobics and more. Ask your doctor if they have any recommendations for you.
Relaxed/Deep Breathing
Many of the exercises listed above already focus or incorporate relaxed/deep breathing, but it is ok to take it a step further. Dementiatoday.com provides a great article to help you use deep breathing as a form of stress relief.
Practicing deep breathing meditation
The key to deep breathing is to breathe deeply from the abdomen, getting as much fresh air as possible in your lungs. When you take deep breaths from the abdomen, rather than shallow breaths from your upper chest, you inhale more oxygen.
Therefore, the more oxygen you get, the less tense, short of breath, and anxious you feel.
• Sit comfortably with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
• Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move very little.
• Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.
• Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count slowly as you exhale.
Visualize
This type of relaxation technique allows you to go to a happy place without ever leaving your house! When using this technique you need to remove distractions and encourage yourself to relax. At most, give yourself 15-20 minutes to complete the exercise.
Form mental pictures and scenes that will take you to a calm and peaceful place. Use as many senses as you can, smell, touch, sound. When you have finished your visualization come back to reality. Use the peaceful mindset you just created to move you through your day in a less stressed manner.
Relaxation techniques take practice.
As a result, don’t let yourself be discouraged (this will bring on more stress). As you practice, let yourself become more aware of your body and how it is reacting to the stress it is in. Let your relaxation techniques focus on those areas and provide relief.
