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Koinonia Senior Care

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Strategies for Dealing With Anxiety in Seniors

Three strategies for coping with anxiety in seniors, based on an article from www.aplaceformom.com.

 The article discusses three main ways of addressing and coping with anxiety in older adults: professional help, eating certain foods, and getting plenty of exercise.

Identify Anxiety

First, though, you need to identify anxiety in yourself or your loved one. Anxiety is marked by excessive worry that interferes with one’s ability to function properly in their daily life. Anxiety can even be a result of certain health conditions.

 

If you are worried you or someone close to you might be suffering from too much worry or anxiety, the next step should be to find a health professional.

 Counseling and medication are two of the main ways to treat anxiety, including for seniors. However, there are a few other ways anxiety can be treated with professional guidance:

  •  Yoga
  • Meditation
  • Acupuncture
  • Traditional Chinese medicine
  • And more.

 The idea is to do your research to determine what course of action would be best for the situation.

Change Your Eating Habits

Another thing you can do to treat your anxiety is change your eating habits.

     

  Your diet should be balanced and you should avoid caffeine and alcohol. You should also be sure to drink plenty of water. Here are some foods that can be beneficial for treating anxiety when incorporated in your diet:                                       

  • Apples, berries, avocados, and most fruits
  • Cashews, almonds, and other nuts and seeds
  • Leafy greens and whole grains
  • Liver, salmon, and oysters                                   

It is recommended to avoid lots of sugars and carbs.

Stay Active

Finally, making sure to stay active can also help with excessive anxiety.

 

Exercise can improve your mood and relieve tension in just five minutes if done properly. Research has demonstrated that regular physical activity helps to lower anxiety levels. Here are some ideas for basic exercise to help your anxiety:                                                           

  • Going for a short walk
  • Doing some impromptu dancing to your favorite songs
  • Visiting the park

Exercising can decrease your likelihood of experiencing anxiety by up to 25%!