I doubt that most people give their mental health a second thought, that is, until they start feeling the affects of aging. Aging can bring you face to face with your mental health, good or bad. Mental health and aging suddenly become one. Affecting your quality of life, how you think, feel, and interact with life and other people.
Our mental health plays a role in how we handle stress and make choices. It’s been an essential part of every moment of our life so far. It’s been there from childhood, and we don’t want to lose it now.
Before we get into holding on to our mental health and 10 tips keep you sharp as you age, let’s see just what mental health is and why it’s worth holding on to.
Components of Mental Health:
- Emotional Well-Being: Your emotional health comes into play when your managing stressful situations, making and maintaining relationships, and generally just coping with life’s little challenges.
- Psychological Well-Being: This is about how you see yourself, accepting yourself as you are, your personal growth, and purpose in life.
- Social Well-Being: Your mental health includes the natural ability to build and maintain relationships and all that encompasses, both good and bad.
Why is Mental Health Important?
- Quality of Life: If your mental health falters as you age, your quality of life goes down hill.
- Physical Health: Believe it or not, mental and physical health go hand in hand. If your mental health declines your physical health can go with it. Declining mental health can lead to obesity and heart disease. Conversely, good mental health can be responsible for faster recovery from illness, and improve your physical wellbeing.
- Relationships: You might agree that it sometimes take good mental health to deal with relationships. Staying sharp mentally means better communication, empathy, and conflict resolution skills.
- Coping with Stress: Stress and stressful situations are just part of life. Good mental health helps you manage and cope with stress and deal with adversity when it shows up.
Impacts of Poor Mental Health:
- Emotional Distress: Failing mental health often comes with sadness, anxiety, and all sorts of negative emotions.
- Physical Symptoms: Poor mental health can often show up as fatique, headaches, and digestive problems.
- Impaired Functioning: Of course, we need to be sharp every day to deal with day to day task. If you’re mental health starts to fail you with age you find it extremely difficult to get through days, which often leads to becoming glued to the chair or home. .
- Mental Health Disorders: Conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia can develop or worsen.
Mental Health and Aging: 10 Tips to Stay Sharp and Happy
We all think aging is what other people do, until somehow, we realize we’re doing it too. Now it’s time we start promoting our own mental health before it starts to decline. But how to we stay sharp through our senior years?
First of all, you’ll need to stay as active as possible in taking responsibility for your own mental health. And this boils down to things like regular exercise, healthy eating, enough quality sleep, and engaging in activities that keep you sharp.
Most people have never prioritized their mental health, but now it’s time. Doing things for the sake of your soundness of mind will help you with a more balanced, fulfilling and healthier life that meshes well with the aging process.
1. Staying Physically Active
It’s a mistake to stop being physically active with age. In fact, any physical activity is powerful when it comes to maintaining mental health. When you exercise your brain is also active. It’s releasing endorphins that lift your mood. But, that’s not all. It’s increasing the flow of brain going to your brain. That increase of blood promotes better cognitive function, which is the ability to think, learn, and remember.
Often, inactivity is more to blame than age when older people lose the ability to do things on their own.
National Institute on Aging
Exercises as simple as walking, yoga, swimming, or working in the yard are rewarding when it comes to cognitive function. These are all gentle on your joints, and plenty of mental benefits as well as improving cardiovascular health.
2. Engaging in Mental Workouts
Mental workouts are essential for the best mental health and keeping your mind sharp.
The best brain games for you could include puzzles, crosswords, and strategy games like chess. A quick search online will bring you a ton of brain games, or try learning a new language. If the rest of your home could stand it, you might even try learning to play a musical instrument.
3. Maintaining Social Connections
One of the worst things for mental health is loneliness. Loneliness is the path to depression and anxiety issues. Staying socially active can help combat loneliness and keep you balanced. Especially when it’s with real people and not on your computer.
Some answers to loneliness are joining local clubs, getting involved in community events, staying active with family and old friends. Find ways to volunteer to stay connected an give back to your community.
4. Eating a Brain-Healthy Diet
Nutrition plays a crucial role in cognitive function. A brain-healthy diet includes foods rich in antioxidants, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Be sure you’re eating leafy greens, berries, nuts, and deep water fish.
It’s easy to miss, but a brain healthy diet is absolutely essential for your mental health. The right foods in your diet support your brain and mental health as well as your overall wellbeing.
5. Getting Quality Sleep
Some of find that age seems to have done away with “quality” sleep. But, getting a good nights sleep is essential for a healthy mind. This is the time your brain has to rest and repair. When your brain gets enough rest, your memory and mood is better.
Tips for improving sleep quality include:
- Establishing a regular sleep schedule
- Creating a restful environment
- Avoiding caffeine and electronics before bedtime
- Practicing relaxation techniques like meditation and mindfulness can also help promote better sleep.
6. Managing Stress Effectively
Holding on to your psychological well-being means stepping aside from as much stress as possible. Maturing into old age is better without stress that has a devastating effect on mental health. I f you can’t get stress out of your life, then it’s important to learn ways to manage it.
There are a ton of relaxation techniques that include everything from a round of golf to deep breathing exercises. So, instead of stewing over some stressful situation, learn to engage in some hobby or peaceful activity that helps you relax and let it go. Managing stress can significantly enhance your mental health.
7. Practicing Mindfulness and Meditation
Learning to practice mindfulness and meditation techniques can be a boon to your mental health. These aren’t actually the same thing but do seem to run together. But, aside from that, either or both are a great way for seniors to reduce stress, improve your focus, and regulate and control your emotions.
These exercises are simple enough for anyone, including seniors. It’s about mindful breathing (thinking about your breath for a few minutes), body scan meditation (thinking about and focusing your attention on your body for few minutes), or mindful walking (being conscious of your surroundings or maybe the sound of feet as you take your daily walk).
Can you see how easy it is to incorporate these into your daily routines. And trust me, they will increase your mental clarity and peace.
8. Learning New Skills and Hobbies
Don’t stop learning because you’re getting older. We spent our lives learning new skills, and new ways of being and doing. Now’s not the time to stop. The process of learning the simplest things is powerful when it comes to boosting your mental health. Learning keeps your brain active and engaged.
Find new hobbies and skills to explore. Most of us have more time now for things like growing house plants, painting, knitting, or even taking up a new sport. Any thing you can
Ideas for new hobbies and skills to explore include gardening, painting, knitting, or taking up a new sport. Online courses and community classes offer endless opportunities for learning and growth.
9. Embracing Technology
If you’re like me, you need the grandkids to figure out the new remote. But, embracing and learning about todays technology can be a great way to stay mentally sharp. There’s everything from brain training apps to making video call available for you to learn.
Even when you have to call for help, taking the time to get involved in the new technology will definitely challenge your mental awareness.
10. Cultivate gratitude and positive thinking
We all know the person who hasn’t aged gracefully. They’re hampered with regrets and are angry at the world. I can tell you how to avoid being that person.
Pushing through to living in a state of gratitude and positive thinking is crucial for enhancing your mental, emotional, and overall wellbeing. By embracing an ongoing attitude of gratitude, you shift your mental focus from regrets and present challenges to blessings.
A positive mindset reduces stress, increase resilience, and improves your emotional stability. If you haven’t been so grateful in the past, now’s the time to get started. An attitude of gratitude promotes healthier everything in your life.
Ultimately, cultivating gratitude and positivity can lead to a more fulfilling and vibrant life as we age.
Conclusion
Maintaining mental health as you age is a personal responsibility. It includes staying active physically, keeping your self mentally sharp on purpose, staying social and more. These 10 tips are simple enough and was common for all of when were younger.
But as we age, it can take us being conscious of them and taking steps to be sure they remain in our day to day life. Staying sharp, happy and enjoying a fulfilling life to the end is doable. Just remember that it’s never too late to take your mental health seriously.
Mental health and aging strategies will keep you sharp, happy, and enjoying a fulfilling life as you continue to ripen and mature.