Have you ever felt like there is no way out of the dark hole that you are in? Maybe your stress level has been so high for so long, that it feels like this is all there is. If you have been feeling these things or if a loved one has been telling you how much they need help with anxiety and depression, then we have some exercises and practices to share! There are many ways to reduce anxiety and depression naturally without medication. We will be sharing exercises for seniors as well as activities that can make a difference in their lives and yours as well. These exercises and practices are ones that can be done without any special equipment. There is no need for a gym membership or anything like that! So please read on if you are trying to take care of your mental health with minimal effort.
Identify Triggers
Though it might seem like identifying triggers is more of a subconscious effort, but this is actually one of the most significant practices that you need to develop in order to tackle anxiety and depression. For some people, triggers could be social activities or lack of friends. Others may have been through something traumatic in their lives like the death of a loved one that caused an intense amount of grief on top of other stresses they were already dealing with. So it is important that you pay close attention to those things and try to avoid those situations if at all possible. Also, sometimes you may not recognize triggers, but the people around you can notice warning signs of anxiety and depression that could come up during your conversation with them. This includes anger or irritability for no apparent reason, excessive worrying about things they couldn’t have control over (i.e., future events like “what if something bad happens”), decreased interest in activities they would normally enjoy, withdrawing from social groups or avoiding contact with other people, and feelings of guilt.
Use Your Creative Bone
Many people who are suffering from anxiety and depression are highly creative. This includes many older people too. So use that as a tool to fight off the stress and negative thoughts. For example, if you’re a painter, try painting your worries away. Writing or playing instruments can also be helpful in the same way if that’s what you enjoy doing. There is no one set of exercises that will work for everyone. So experiment with exercises and practices to see what would be most beneficial for you.
Try Meditation and Yoga
If you’re an older person who is looking for exercises that will help with your anxiety or depression, consider the benefits of meditation. A lot of people find it a challenge to sit still in one place when they are feeling anxious about their stress levels but what if instead of focusing on how bad you feel; meditate so that you can have more control over your thoughts. Yoga exercises can also be helpful because it teaches you how to find peace and balance in the midst of stressors by using breathing exercises and similar. You can learn simple yoga, Pilates, Thai-chi and meditation techniques by checking out YouTube videos.
Use the Benefits of Nature
If you feel anxious or depressed, one way that will help is by using natural exercises such as walking or hiking in the woods. You can also try walking barefoot on the grass as this is proved to be effective for peace of mind. They allow your body to calm down naturally while being surrounded with plants and trees which can be soothing for some people who suffer from anxiety and other mental health issues. Try walking barefoot in the grass or sit down in a park and just listen to the sounds of nature. Believe it or not, these can be very grounding activities to calm your mind and make you feel closer to nature.
Running and Fast-Paced Walking
Running is an effective way to reduce anxiety and depression. It is a powerful way for your physical body to release hormones that suppress pain, fear, and anger while also increasing endorphins which make you feel happier, boosts your mood. In addition to running, you can also try fast-paced walking which will allow you access the benefits of nature in more ways because when you run outside there are so many sights to see as well as smells from the earth and your surroundings.
Gardening
Gardening is a great hobby as well as a form of exercise to help reduce anxiety and depression. Gardening can be very therapeutic because it allows you to watch plants grow, listen to soothing noises when tilling the soil and moving things around in your garden. Elderly who have physical limitations from a disease or injury can also garden by using adaptive gardening tools that suit their needs such as long handled rakes, shovels and other items. Try activities that require limited movements such as weeding, or mulching or planting trees so that you do not exhaust yourself. Apart from that gardening can be done alone or with others which provides an opportunity for socialization which is also an effective tool to reduce anxiety and depression.
Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises are very good for seniors as it is a way of controlling stress. Try this: Sit in a chair with your spine straight and legs uncrossed, close your eyes, place one hand on the top of your stomach and the other hand on your chest, take deep breaths in through your nose to fill up your stomach and chest. Breathe out through your mouth, counting to five as you do so. Similar techniques can be learned during your yoga class or watching instruction videos from various guided mindfulness websites and pages. This will help you control your nerves, thoughts and emotions which may be causing the stress. The best thing is that you can do these exercises anywhere!
Mixing up various forms of workouts and wellness practices can be powerful tools to battle anxiety and depression. While it may seem difficult in the beginning, they eventually become a natural part of your life over time. However, It is important to note that while there are many benefits of exercise when it comes to reducing depression or anxiety, but it is not a one-size-fits all solution and in no way a replacement for therapy or your regular treatment plan if you are dealing with serious mental health issues. We hope the above exercises will ease your mind and provide comfort, but encourage you to seek specialized treatment plans for maximized improvements.
Support Our Campaign
We rely on the generosity of the public to fund our work and so far together we have achieved great things! Please do continue to support us so we can provide future generations in Ireland with the resources to recognise and talk about their emotions, and equip them to navigate the ever-changing world around them as they grow
