Seniors

Temperatures are colder. Winter doldrums are here. Sunlight hours are shorter. Thankfully, there are solutions for seniors who are facing seasonal melancholy or suffering from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). There is also the fact that spring is on its way. Trying these five tips might change your seasonal blues.

The first and foremost tip is communication. It’s easy to sink into the down drums, so to counter those feelings, it’s important to connect with others. Your social calendar is as important as getting up in the morning. Whether it is a phone call to a friend or loved one, a Zoom, Facetime or Skype call on the computer or face-to-face visits, it is important to share life with other humans. I have an elderly friend who lives independently in a senior residence. Once a month, we meet for coffee and share our experiences, laugh together and attempt to solve the world’s problems in the time we spend together. It’s healthy. Playing cards, board games, and sharing meals can also be social outings and get-togethers whether you live in your own home or a senior facility.

Secondly, try expanding your interests and loves. If you enjoy hobbies, then that’s a viable option. Things like knitting, crocheting, cross-stitching or embroidery are creative. Taking up calligraphy or puzzling are also considered healthy activities. Baking can also be a stimulus for creating memories from comfort food as the smells increase dopamine in the brain. Learning new skills, painting or colouring, and even photography and writing are activities to pursue. At this age, I am investigating taking a few university courses. Did you know that some of them are free for seniors?

Thirdly, in this darker season, the news can be another negative to pull a person down emotionally. Turn the TV off and substitute it for a movie, favorite film, or TV show from the past. Go down memory lane and laugh. Take a break from the news, and if you need to stay up to date, just watch the first ten minutes to get the headlines and then shut the TV off. Speaking of sedentary activities, the next tip is to get moving! There is a temptation to stay inside, curled up and cozy, but mood boosting comes from moving. Even if it’s ten minutes a day or 20-30 minutes three times a week, exercise is beneficial. There are countless studies and statistics to back up those claims. Whether you are dancing, walking, cycling on your stationary bike or rowing on a rowing machine, the blood gets flowing, and energy increases when we move. Depending on your level of fitness will determine what your workout looks like. Lastly, and just as important, is mindfulness or meditation. Many people find relaxing techniques by sitting quietly, doing breathwork, and tuning inward to quiet the mind. Mindfulness can help with chronic pain as well. There are several applications on cell phones, YouTube videos on the computer or iPad to give directions. Listening to soft music, reading or listening to scripture or even playing soft nature music while looking at photos of nature are also calming. Regardless of which activity you decide to start with, all of these tips are suggestions to get you moving from the winter blues into a more colourful world. Spring is on its way, and that makes us get out and about to enjoy all those things we could not do during the winter months. Unless of course, you are a snowbird!