Coping Skills List for Seniors Facing Life Changes
The American Psychiatric Association reports that one in every eight older adults lives with a mental illness. This can be especially painful for those who haven't developed healthy coping strategies to contend with issues like depression or anxiety. Maladaptive, unhealthy coping strategies are common problems that cause long-term issues, so avoiding them is key to positive aging.
But what can you do instead as a senior experiencing mental health problems? There are several answers to this that will build emotional resilience and enhance senior wellness.
Dixon, IL's quaint and historically significant community is a great location to enhance mental health. Read on for a coping skills list that demonstrates how to better take care of yourself when times get tough.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness activities help people stay present in the world around them. They prioritize living in the present by taking note of current sensory experiences.
When engaging in mindfulness exercises, older adults are encouraged to acknowledge all thoughts, both good and bad, and let them wash over them. Instead, they can latch onto and focus on what they can actively see, hear, and feel.
Some mindfulness activities include:
- Meditation
- Deep breathing
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Yoga
- Specialized sensory experiences
Mindfulness is key to stress management because it prevents obsessive ruminations. Rather than becoming anxious about things they can't control, seniors can take note of the positive parts of their current lives.
Create a Daily Routine
Northwestern Medicine outlines the benefits of a daily routine. Stress management is a critical advantage since excessive worrying impacts your cardiovascular health greatly.
A routine puts seniors more in control of their daily lives and ensures that they know what to expect when they wake up in the morning. This decreases uncertainty and the nerves that come with it.
Beyond that, routines can also help you sleep better. This is especially true of bedtime routines that contribute to your sleep times and bedtime-related habits. When you get quality sleep, you'll feel rested and have more energy to deal with stressful events and mental health issues.
Enjoy Hobbies (Both Old and New)
Older adults across the US enjoy a wide range of hobbies. Art and crafting are common outlets for creative expression. Reading is a fun way to stay sharp and boost critical thinking skills while enjoying fun and fantastical stories.
Taking time to engage in old hobbies is an important item on any coping skills list. Doing so gives seniors a sense of purpose and something to look forward to each day.
Taking up new hobbies is also a clever and healthy way to take the mind off stressful events! Falling in love with a new activity can feel fresh and be extremely fun.
Liberty Court Senior Living offers a wide range of activities to help residents discover new passions. Some include:
- Board game nights
- Noodle ball
- Group crafts
- Read-alongs
- Morning exercises
- Puzzles
- Themed parties
- Holiday soirees
There's something for everyone, so enhancing senior wellness has never been easier!
Become Part of a Community
Everyone at a given senior community activity has chosen to be there. This means that all attendees will already share an interest in whatever the subject matter is.
It's a great icebreaker that lets residents foster connections quickly!
According to the CDC, these connections:
- Create feelings of belonging
- Generates feelings of love and care
- Helps manage stress and anxiety
- Makes depression management easier
- Protects against illness
When you live in a top Dixon senior living community, it's easy to reap these advantages. Coping with life events and daily stress is significantly easier due to a nearby support system.
Nurture Deep Relationships
Additionally, a retirement community can help you foster deeper friendships with those around you. This is because residents all live within the same walls and can see each other every day. Robust community amenities and well-appointed apartments make for a great location to spend time together.
This is important because close friends provide a safe space in which we can talk about our feelings. It's therapeutic to know that you can share your problems with someone and expect support rather than judgment.
Withdrawing from family and friends is a common maladaptive coping strategy. It may make sense in the short term because it feels better than doing the work of talking to others. But it's counterintuitive and can stunt personal growth.
Doing the opposite is much healthier and can lead to emotional resilience and openness.
Seek Professional Help
Friends and loved ones are a great way to improve your mental health and have someone to lean on. However, they don't have the same tools and resources under their belt as a professional therapist or psychiatrist would.
Therapists will help you foster good relationships with those around you effectively. They can also help you:
- Better manage difficult emotions
- Become more self-aware
- Learn to communicate better
- Have easier life transitions
- Decrease negative thoughts
- Stop rumination and overthinking
- Overcome traumatic experiences and feelings
- Stay grounded in the presence
- Get through life crises such as the deaths of loved ones and new cognitive health diagnoses
- Develop more coping skills beyond basic mental health tips
- Offer up activities and worksheets to better facilitate healing and wellness
- Encourage journaling as an expressive outlet for emotions
There are several types of therapy. Talk therapy is just one option. Those looking for more coping skills can try art or music therapy as well.
Beyond a Basic Coping Skills List
Now that you know some stress management strategies for seniors, it's time to learn more about the best retirement community in Dixon, IL. Liberty Court Senior Living offers a wide range of supportive services to residents regardless of how much daily help they need.
Whether you or a loved one needs assisted living or memory care services, we go beyond this coping skills list to ensure long-term emotional resilience.
Our activities and amenities are made for a healthy lifestyle, and we offer therapies through art, music, and discussion. Unlock these advantages and more today by contacting us to schedule a tour of our vibrant community!