April is National Stress Awareness Month. While stress can affect anyone at any stage in life, stress can affect older adults in unique ways that could be more detrimental to their well-being and overall health. That is why it is important to manage stress by understanding its root causes and address them.
With older adults, family and caregivers can often be overly focused on addressing physical ailments, while mental health gets overlooked. Many older adults find it difficult to advocate for themselves or speak up when they are dealing with these issues, but the fact remains: negative mental health is directly associated with negative physical health. The adverse is also true in that positive mental health often reflects in positive physical health, meaning sometimes focusing on physical ailments is not addressing the cause of the issue. This is why older adults should be encouraged to reach out when they are feeling overstressed or depressed, since the relationship between mental health and physical well-being is so strong.
There are many stressors that can exist, but some are observed to be more common among older adults. Financial worries is a common area of worry for many seniors. Concerns about savings and unexpected expenses can result in stressful feelings of anxiety and uncertainty that can be debilitating for some people. Being open and honest with friends and family, while seeking professional advice can help put the mind at ease and increase one’s confidence. Often times, this topic can feel like it rests entirely on the shoulders of the individual, which is why reaching out for support can remove that feeling of isolation.
Another common stressor is feelings of social isolation or loneliness. Many people start to feel that as they age, they start to lose the connections they had with friends and family. That’s why at Clover Living we strive to be more than just a living space. We hold regular events and gatherings to promote socializing with fellow neighbours and to make new friends. We always encourage residents to invite family members to the community and join in on celebrations and spend quality time with their loved ones, because we know how far it goes in promoting healthy living.
While stress is a normal part of life that we all experience, that doesn’t mean that there is nothing that can be done to help manage it. Whatever the root cause of stress may be, there are ways of managing it and dealing with it that can improve your overall quality of life. Stress does not have to dominate your life, and we encourage those who feel like it does to reach out to the resources around them for support.
