Tips for Mental Health at Any Age

Cognitive decline, memory issues, and a growing epidemic of loneliness, all make people in their golden years incredibly vulnerable to issues with mental health. A good portion of older people are experiencing some kind of mental health issue. 

Some people have taken a social anxiety disorder test to determine if that’s their issue, while others already know what depression or just plain old anxiety feels like. The commonly seen conditions include things like those just mentioned as well as cognitive impairment and mood disorders such as bipolar depression.

Some of the more common issues are depression and anxiety. These can impact both mental and physical health. Conditions such as these can lead to things like impairments in social and mental functioning, and even the way your body physically functions. They can also lead to complications with other physical ailments. Here’s a quick look at a few ways to combat them.

Brain Games

Just as your body needs its physical stimulation and activity in order to stay healthy, your brain needs the same thing in order to avoid cognitive decline and remain sharp while aging. Brain games are able to sharpen things like short-term memory, decision making, reaction time, and even processing speed. Any activity that engages your brain and makes it work at solving problems can be helpful.

Be More Physical

Ballroom dancing, yoga classes, regular walks in the park. All of these types of physical activities and more can benefit both your body and your mind by reducing the risk of falls and boosting your confidence. Remaining active and making sure you get enough exercise is critical for the well-being and mental health of any senior, just as they are at each stage of life.

Connections

Distance and time might make it a bit difficult for you to maintain a close relationship with your old friends as you age. However, for aging adults, being able to remain in touch with the people who are important to them can help when it comes to fighting off loneliness and those feelings of being isolated that can lead you down the path to depression, physical decline, and mental decline. Learn how to connect with people on social media – even new people. Write letters, or even just call your friends on the phone to stay in touch.

Hobbies

Remaining active following retirement is incredibly important. We all have our own personal wish list of things we want to do, see, and experience, but those things are easy to delay just due to life happening. 

That said, retirement is the ideal time to pick that bucket list up and dust it off so that you can pursue those lifelong goals — whether they’re to learn French cooking, travel, or even just garden. Hobbies can lead to a sense of fulfillment and contentment and this can help with mood disorders.

Volunteering

Many aging people find a sense of purpose and fulfillment in volunteering for a cause they feel is worthy. There’s never a shortage of causes and organizations in need of support, so this means that there are always opportunities for people to get involved, feel needed, and valued.

It’s incredibly important for people who might be a bit older to take care of both their physical and mental health. Without a brain that’s stable and healthy, they’ll be more vulnerable to even more physical conditions and ailments. By making the effort each day to do activities that are healthy for the mind you can reap the rewards. It doesn’t matter if you do a crossword each day, or even just write your thoughts down, there are quick and easy activities that can help for the rest of your life.

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