Healthy Aging Tips – Coping With Change

Coping with change is tough, whatever your age. Even so, older adults face a much larger number of transitions and changes that may include loss of family members, friends, career, health, and independence. It’s quite normal to feel bad about and even grieve these losses. However, it is only when this sense of loss is balanced with positivity that you can have a great recipe for aging gracefully and well.

Healthy aging is not just about staying physically fit – it also involves maintaining an emotional and mental balance which boils down to retaining a not only sense of purpose but also a zest for life. While other specific components of healthy aging can vary between individuals, the common elements are the capacity to manage stress and maintain mental wellbeing.

Discovering and adopting coping strategies

Healthy aging entails continuously reinventing yourself. It means finding and doing new things that you enjoy, learning methods to adapt to change, remaining socially and physically active, and retaining strong connections to your loved ones and the community.
Regrettably, aging is associated with fear and anxiety for many people. Some of the common fears include such questions as:

• Will I be able to take care of myself and remain independent?
• What will happen if my spouse passes away?
• Will I lose my memory or my mind?

Most of these fears arise from myths surrounding the aging process that are either false or exaggerated. The fact is that most adults are hardier and vastly more resilient than they believe.
Tips to cope with change
As you age, you will face times of joy as well as stress. It’s vital to establish resilience and find positive methods to cope with the demands of both. This approach helps you benefit from good times and retain an even perspective during tough times.

• Accepting things you cannot change – Many circumstances in life are beyond your direct control. Instead of increasing stress levels over these, concentrate on what you can control – your reaction to them. It will help more if you accept your limitations in a dignified manner with your sense of humor intact.

• Admit and show your feelings – Some people do not as they feel it is a inappropriate or a sign of weakness. Bottling up emotions leads to resentment, anger and depression, which is not healthy. Don’t deny your emotions. Process the feelings by talking to someone close or even writing about them in a journal.

• Focus on things you have reason to be grateful for - The longer your life, the more you stand to lose. However, as you possessions and loved ones, life itself becomes more treasured.

• Look for the good in the bad - When faced with big changes or challenges, view them as opportunities to grow as a person. If the situation is the result of a poor choice on your part, ponder and learn from the errors.

• Take action to tackle challenges – If a challenge seems too difficult to deal with, it easy to ignore it. That will not make the issue disappear but may actually cause both your anxiety and the problem itself to grow. Tackle the issue gradually, taking it a small step each time. In this way you will not feel powerless and can slowly increase your confidence levels.