We all face different kinds of mental and physical stress in all stages of life.  Chronic and excessive stress can be harmful, causing physical and emotional problems.  Stress is a sign that we need to look more closely at our lives.  Like pain, stress should also be viewed as a warning sign from your body.

We need to understand more about the stress we face and learn appropriate coping strategies for our well being.

Common sources of stress for the elderly include:

Change in lifestyle and financial status after retirement

Caring for a sick spouse

Death of a spouse or close friends

Deterioration of physical abilities

Chronic illness or pain

Surgery

Loneliness or isolation

Worrying about not being able to live independently

There are some common signs and symptoms that would indicate that you, or someone you love, is under an excessive amount of stress.  These symptoms include:

Insomnia or nightmares

Loss of appetite, palpitations

Muscle pain or tiredness

Weight loss

Anxiety and/or fear

Frustration

Depression

Poor concentration

Forgetfulness

If these signs are present, it is time to change some of the stressors in your life.  It may be difficult to notice that you are under an undue amount of stress, so it is imperative that you discuss your situation with family and friends.  They may notice things you can do to change the situation or be able to offer solutions and support.  It is also important that you speak with your physician regarding your symptoms and seek his/her advice on ways to help deal with the stressors in your life.

Some of the things that you can do to help manage the stress in your life is to share your difficulties and feelings with your spouse, family and friends.  Maintain a healthy, active social life.  Maintaining a healthy diet is very important.  Think positive!  Appreciate your achievements and your personal strengths.  Engaging in volunteer work helps to boost self-confidence and broaden your outlook on life.  Simplify your schedule and get plenty of sleep.  Spend time listening to music that you enjoy.  Take a long bubble bath.  Exercise and get outdoors to enjoy nature.  Garden or do home repairs.  Go out with friends to enjoy shopping, dining or a movie.  Laugh a lot.  Do a creative activity such as writing or painting.  Practice deep breathing, meditate or do yoga.

Planning is an important part of controlling stress.  We all want to maintain control, independence and our dignity as we grow older.  Being proactive and discussing the important issues with loved ones, even putting your wishes in writing gives the aging adult control over their lives even when they are unable to speak for themselves.

Organization is very important to avoid stress.  Have things in one place with important medical, legal, financial and personal information easily accessible.  Stress can cause distraction, so write important information down.

Learning to implement some of these techniques will allow you to better control the stress in your life.  Turn down the stress level and get back to enjoying life!

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 at 5:07 pm and is filed under Laura Kelso. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.