How Seniors Can Reduce Their Anxiety

There’s a lot of discussion about social media and how it elevates anxiety among the younger generation. With or without these internet apps, people of all ages deal with the effects of feeling anxious, and that includes senior citizens. In some cases, elderly people don’t really encounter anxiety until those later years, when life’s changes start to seem overwhelming. 

Fortunately, there are ways to combat this and get back to feeling calm and collected. If you find that anxiety has started interrupting your daily life, here are some possible solutions to the problem. 

Change in Diet

That knot in your stomach might be how your body tells you that it’s feeling a little unbalanced. As we age and our appetites get smaller, sometimes important nutrients are cut out and we start to feel that both physically and emotionally. Caffeine can also start to take more of a toll on a person’s nervous system, making you feel more jittery than energetic. 

If you don’t like the way you feel, a change in diet is one of the quickest fixes. You can also start by adding supplements to your daily pill regimen. 

Healthy Conversations and Communication

If negative feelings are at the root of your anxiety, you can push those away with an influx of positive feelings. Anxiety and depression often stem from loneliness, and everyone knows the solution to that problem. Get together with family and friends, set up regular times for phone calls and visits, and make sure you’re staying connected. 

You should also consider finding new ways to interact and be with people. Load up your walker cooler bag and start a walking group with your neighbors. Sometimes a change in routine—which can replace the dread of a monotonous schedule—is the best way to put a little pep in your step.

Better Night’s Rest

If nothing else seems to take away that nervous energy, it might be that you’re just not sleeping well. A good night’s rest can have a huge impact on your mental health, so changing up your sleep schedule or sneaking an afternoon nap might be the trick. And remember, all of these pieces might be connected, as the nutrients in your diet might be affecting your sleep, and feeling tired throughout the day might make it harder to connect with your loved ones. A few simple changes can make a world of difference. 

It’s really hard to go through the day with a nagging feeling of unease, especially when you can’t easily identify the cause. If you think anxiety is making it harder to enjoy yourself, take some simple, proactive steps to make it go away. We all deserve happiness, so see what you can do to reclaim yours.