There are a lot of people who show their love through service and taking care of others, setting self-care to the side but as we age, we will need to prioritize ourselves due to new problems that we might face; these problems may be health-related, difficulty with doing work that you used to find easy, or making sure that you have good hygiene. As much as you would like to give your attention to your family, friends, or other loved ones, it’s important to take care of yourself, especially as a senior.
Dealing with vision, balance, strength, mobility issues, chronic illness, or isolation due to the pandemic can lower your quality of life and those issues highlight the importance of self-care. Always be persistent and never give in to the negativity that either surrounds you or clouds your mind because it doesn’t take much to make life a little bit better for yourself.
But you might be asking yourself, “what can I do to make my life better?” or “how can I start?”. Here are some self-care tips for you:
Self-Care Tips for Seniors
Here are some self-care tips that can improve your quality of life and lessen stress:
Get Enough Sleep
As children, we were all told that getting enough sleep is important to make us grow big and strong but it doesn’t stop there. As you age to your senior years, your body can react differently compared to when you were younger. Teenagers and young adults can usually handle a lack of sleep just fine but as seniors, you will need to pay extra attention to your sleeping habits. Poor sleeping habits can affect your health or worsen an already existing health issue. As people age, their sleep patterns may change which causes them to sleep earlier and wake up earlier than usual. They may also experience disrupted sleep.
You may do the following to aid in improve your sleep:
Exercise
Avoid vices such as drinking, smoking, or eating heavy meals late in the evening
Turn off distractions such as radios, TVs, or phones
You can also develop a nighttime routine that can aid you in relaxing as you prepare yourself for sleep.
Stretching and Exercise
Stretching your muscles can be beneficial especially when your back feels tight or sore. You can start doing yoga because it can strengthen your muscles and improve your balance, strength, and quality of sleep. Exercising, on the other hand, give similar benefits and at the same time, prevent health problems that come with age. Consistently getting physical activity can also aid you in doing work that involves moving around and carrying things. With improvements because of exercise, you can be more independent as a senior and do the things you love. Doing moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for 20 to 30 minutes a day is enough to make you become physically fit as a senior.
Listen to Music
Listening to music has a lot of benefits. It can aid encourage you to be physically active especially when you listen to music while working out. Music is also good for mental health and the brain. It is a brain exercise due to the stimulation that music does to the brain. Research shows that it improves sleep quality, memory, mood, and memory.
Set Some Time Aside for Yourself
You should be able to have a few hours for yourself every day when you could do the things that you love without anyone interrupting it. During this time, you should prioritize yourself.
Don’t be Afraid to Try New Things
Try out new hobbies such as cooking, making arts and crafts, crocheting, dancing, singing, or bird watching, or creative writing such as poems and such. Doing new activities can aid in stimulating your brain and could provide you with new skills.
Live Healthier
Steering clear of vices such as smoking or drinking will improve your health. Adding a good diet and physical activity to the mix will decrease your chances of developing health issues and prevent diseases. Living healthier can also benefit your mental health because when you choose to live healthier, your mind will follow as well.
Always remember that self-care is never selfish. Putting aside some time to pamper yourself and release stress will improve your quality of life. Seniors have already done a lot in their younger life and you need to be able to take breaks when you feel like it.
In Need of Some Assistance?
Unified Pledge Home Health provides a FREE consultation. Talk to them about your situation and explore your options.
A reputable home health agency will perform a complementary in-home care assessment done by a registered nurse. In doing so, they can create a personalized health care plan. Additionally, they also provide a high level of service for skilled medical care based on the physician's order.
Hiring professionals from Unified Pledge comes with the following advantages:
Level II FBI background checks of all staff
Driving history checks
Constant communication to patients, family, and care team
Registered Nurse supervision is ongoing with every care plan
Contact us today for a FREE consultation by a Supervisory Nurse at 561-910-8770.