Stress is a part of life. But that doesn’t mean you need to allow it to control the way you live. If you’ve noticed that you have problems sleeping, general aches and pains, and have unexplained tension throughout your body, then chances are you’re overly stressed. But you don’t have to be.
Below, you’ll find an overview of some of the best strategies that older adults can use to address their stress. Keep reading to learn more.
Exercise is something that you should be doing for your health even if you’re not overly stressed out. But it can also have a huge impact on the amount of stress that you feel in your daily life.
Exercise reduces the number of stress hormones in the body, such as adrenaline and cortisol. At the same time, it also stimulates the production of endorphins. These are natural mood elevators that also act as a painkiller for your body.
Exercise doesn’t have to be complex. It can simple as taking a brisk walk 3-5 times a week. Or you can sign up for a gym membership where you can take some classes.
SilverSneakers is one popular option for this. It allows you to visit a number of gyms across the country for free and to participate in many different fitness classes — both online and in-person — with other older adults.
Too often, we stress ourselves out over parts of life that really aren’t all that serious. For example, maybe you’ve always stuck closely to a schedule. And you begin to feel stress if that gets interfered with.
Consider checking in with yourself during these moments. Notice when you’re feeling stress and ask yourself why. Is there really something that you need to be worried about at the moment? Or are you working yourself up unnecessarily?
Engaging in practices like meditation and yoga regularly can help a lot with this type of mindfulness.
Connecting with others regularly is another highly-effective way to fight back against stress. Doing so will give you a break from the problems in your life and will allow you to enjoy the company of others for a while. Laughter is also a powerful stress reducer, and spending time with others is one of the best ways to bring more of it into your life.
Get Your Free 2021 Guide to Medicare
You may also be able to improve your stress levels by adding a new vitamin or nutrient to your diet. Here are a few different substances that may help to reduce your stress:
Maybe you’ve already tried to reduce your stress, but you’re still struggling with it. If so, talking to a physician about it is the best way to move forward with your life.
You may be able to use your Medicare health insurance to pay for that. Additionally, some Medicare Advantage plans will help you pay for services like SilverSneakers that can help you reduce your stress.
If you’d like to learn more about leveraging Medicare to reduce stress, then reach out to a partnered licensed agent at Time for 65 today. You can do so by filling out this form or giving us a call.
Get Your Free 2021 Guide
to Medicare