Ways To Avoid Depression In Seniors

Despite depression being common in older adults, it isn’t normal. Seniors with the mental disorder stand the chance of increased risks of cardiac diseases, heart attacks and other illnesses. The symptoms of depression in seniors may not be the same as the ones seen in younger people. When depressed, the symptoms can affect the way they think, feel and engage in daily activities. Seniors can also appear to be tired, have trouble sleeping or seem grumpy or irritable. In some cases, depression can also cause them physical pain which cannot be attributed to any other health condition.

While depression may be the effects of multiple illnesses or medicines, there are things you can do to prevent it in seniors. Here are some ways to avoid getting depression in your older years:

1. Prepare for major life changes

By the time you age and enter retirement, you may be going through a lot of changes in your life. Moving into retirement, death of loved ones and depreciating health can cause feelings of uneasiness, stress and sadness. Important life changes like these can bring you down, but you can avoid it by preparing for them. Acknowledge that things in your life will change and start planning on ways to get through them for when they occur. While it’s human to feel relatively upset about adapting to change, let it not be more than a depressive phase.

2. Pick up new activities to do

A common misconception about growing old is that you lose your ability to try new activities or learn new skills. In truth, the human brain is very much capable of learning new things and adapting to new ideas, regardless of age. Engaging in new activities can help add meaning to your life while maintaining your brain health. Learning new things helps build motivation by giving you purpose. You can choose to learn something you’ve always wanted to learn or something to get your creative juices flowing – a sport, a musical instrument, painting and so on.

3. Socialise more to avoid being in isolation

Isolation is a key factor in elderly depression these days. Spending too much time on your own may draw in negative thoughts. It is best to surround yourself with friends and family. Get out more and spend time with people. You can even call people call – remember, face-to-face interaction is much more valuable than any other medium. Join a class or start attending classes and other places where you can meet like-minded people and form new relationships. Make an effort to connect with people and limit your time alone. It releases feel-good chemicals that will help keep your mood elevated.

4. Maintain a well-balanced diet

The food you eat helps define your mood. Foods rich in vitamin B are especially essential for positive moods. Alcohol and caffeinated beverages should be avoided as they are likely to negatively affect mental being. The right way to go is to eat a well-balanced diet minimizing sugar and refined carbs. Focus on eating more healthy fats and protein, which will leave you more satisfied and emotionally balanced. Moreover, a well balanced diet will also help avoid illnesses that can bring with it depression.

5. Keep yourself active

It’s important to keep yourself on your feet and engage in some physical activity even in your senior years. Just a short walk can boost your mood for the next two hours. Make your lifestyle to include as much movement as possible. By this, we don’t mean just exercise, you can do just about anything to keep your heart rate up. Start taking the stairs instead of the lift, offer to grab something from the next room – the point is to avoid becoming inactive. You don’t need to be doing strenuous exercises that could cause you injuries, but just try to stay on your feet. Just like a well-balanced diet, physical activity can also help you avoid illnesses that may cause depression.

Motivation and the right environment is all it takes to keep the moods of seniors elevated and free of negative thoughts. Prevention has always been better than cure and healthy ageing in seniors means preventing depression. The above tips should ensure you healthy aging and significantly reduce your chances of depression.

At Primus, we provide the perfect environment to help improve and maintain the well-being of older adults – both physical and mental. We have many mentally stimulating activities as well as calming things to do. Seniors can continue living and build connections while feeling safe and secure in their neighbourhood. For more info on Primus, please visit: https://www.primuslife.in/