Elder Care Cafe

No matter how old you are, whether you are a young baby boomer or young-at-heart senior citizen, the Christmas holiday season can bring a tension like no other time throughout the year. If you are constantly feeling anxious or stressed out over finances, visits with family members that are not always as pleasant as you would like, or just plain rushed because Christmas seems to be pressing in upon you, that stress can manifest itself in many different ways. A few of the symptoms you may experience include muscle tension, headaches, chest pain and more.

This is why relaxation techniques for anxiety are such an important way to relieve the tension and help your mind to feel calmer no matter how old you are. Here are five top relaxation ideas that might help you throughout this busy season of the year.

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing: When we feel anxious we may start to hyperventilate, taking very shallow breaths. This is why one of the best relaxation techniques for anxiety is to breathe using the full capacity of your lungs. To do this, imagine that you’re breathing into your stomach instead of your chest. Your stomach should rise and fall each time you breathe in and out. You can use this technique anytime during the year when you feel anxious about your health, finances, or upcoming medical procedures.
2. Visualization: Visualization is a good way of taking your mind away from whatever it is that’s making you feel anxious, and training it to feel more relaxed even during situations where you wouldn’t normally feel relaxed. Visualize in detail sights, sounds, smells and feelings that you would experience if you were in a location that made you feel relaxed and comfortable, like when you’re on vacation.
3. Hypnosis: There are a number of hypnosis relaxation guides available. These will help to guide your mind away from thoughts that leave you feeling stressed or anxious, and can help take you through certain methods to help your body relax, such as progressive muscle relaxation. You can find many of these for free or low cost on the internet or in your local bookstore. Make sure you choose one related to your specific issue.
4. Timed Breathing: If you are stressed and try to breathe deeply you may find it difficult and actually start to hyperventilate. Instead of trying to breathe deeply, for quick relaxation before or during anxious moments you can try timing your breathing. For example, try breathing in for a count of five, and out for a count of 7. Extending your out-breath helps relax your body’s nervous system and the counting gives you something else to focus your mind on.
5. Improve Your Sleep: Although it’s not a relaxation technique in the same sense as those above, getting enough sleep is important for keeping you feeling physically and mentally relaxed. If you are like many other seniors, you will not require as much sleep as you used to when you were younger. However, when you don’t get enough sleep you may start to feel anxious, and if you feel anxious you may have trouble sleeping – a double-edged sword. Some tips include writing down any worries on a piece of paper before you go to sleep to help get them out of your mind. You should also avoid caffeine and only exercise early in the day.

Establishing a daily routine helps to make sleep a lot easier. Make sure you go to bed at roughly the same time each day, don’t perform activities such as watching TV or using your laptop in bed, and try to wake up at the same time each day. These tips, in conjunction with practicing the relaxation techniques for anxiety mentioned above, will help to ensure you are feeling calm and relaxed throughout the day.

Related Posts:

• 12/23/2011 -- The Importance of Stress Management for Seniors
• 02/27/2012 -- The Link between Stress and Caregiver Health
• 01/25/2012 -- Risk Factors for High Blood Pressure
• 01/18/2012 -- Journal Writing and the Caregiver
• 08/15/2011 -- Financial Problems and Stress