How Senior Women Can Manage
Stress In Their Lives
Entering your senior years, you have completed childrearing, you may be a grandparent and you have retired from work. Time for some "me time" to enjoy leisure activities at a pace that you set for yourself. From your experiences, you know what types of activities and people you enjoy. Being a senior citizen should allow you the life of leisure filled with stress-free lazy days to call your own. But for many these years usher in different kinds of stress. Why is there stress with fewer household and professional obligations?
Senior Women Exerience Different Stress
There are three major areas of worry for senior women. Society is somewhat uncomfortable with it aging population because it doesn't know how to relate to this group and our media is constantly focusing on the beauty of youth. With age come an increase suseptibility to disease and physical limitations from a body that becomes worn down and tired. We find that aging creates both an increase in
financial stress
due to a looming economic disaster and second, we worry that if we do get sick, the skyrocketing health care costs will bankrupt us. The major stressors for seniors have now boiled down to financial security and maintaining good
health.
Trying to cope with overcoming a major disease or losing financial stability are nightmares that seniors try to avoid in the golden years. The third life stressor is isolation. This can occur for many seniors who must confront the death of a loved one or close friend. Or the senior becomes limited in her physical mobility and is unable to get out and associate with others. Such isolation from friends and loved ones can cause loneliness and
depression.
There are strategies available to manage the stress and continue to lead active and productive lives, enriched with new friends and new rewards.
Stress Management Strategies
Plan for your future. In these turbulent economic times, review what financial resources you have available and create current strategic plans to maintain these financial investments. Maybe with an empty nest, you find it appropriate to downsize and re-invest monies earned from owning less real estate. Making plans for the future can eliminate the stress of uncertainty regarding what you, as a senior woman, can and can not financially afford. Vacations can be more relaxing if you have taking the time to check your financial planning and know that your getaway adventure will not break the bank.
Stay Connected. Loneliness is real. Don't loose track of your friends. One great way to keep in touch is through the internet. Research indicates that the group over the age of 70 years is one of the fastest growing groups of internet users. Also, to expand your friend base, you can enjoy online communities such as the SeniorWomenWeb, an Uncommon site for Uncommon Women. But remember to get out of the house and enjoy the company of others in your own community. By sharing time with individuals, both your age and younger, you stay in touch with the world around you. Share time by taking some classes or starting that hobby as a
way to relieve stress
and enjoy now that you have time. This is your time to enjoy but it is always more enjoyable when you can share it with others.
Enjoy your Environment. Your home is your castle. And your castle is a place to experience the comfort of a queen. So look around you and re-arrange the setting to make it reflect your current needs and interests. It may be time to redo some rooms to accommodate your new found hobby--maybe you are dabbling in the arts and need a studio setting, for example. Or maybe you still hear the pitter patter of small feet--those of a grand child and you need to arrange a nursery area. Actually, I hear the pitter patter of small feet- but there are four of them on each of my three dogs. Now we make room for additional dog bowls and find a place to stash the growing number of toys. I have also added a bird feeding station outside of my kitchen window to enjoy birds who visit us daily. Another set of friends to say hello to every day. And wow, do they enjoy the bird seed! We can hardly keep the feeders full. Re-inventing one's environment as we move through different stages of life keeps us alive with fresh perspectives and a calm understanding of who we are, where we have been and where we might like to go.
Build a legacy. As you sort through the storage areas of your home, do you find yourself amazed at the amount of photographs you have collected over the years? What are you going to do with all of them? Take a closer look at some of the faces you have immortilized on Kodak paper. Each photographed smile tells a story. Lots of photographs, lots of stories. But which stories are important to remember? Which stories do you remember from your childhood that your children would enjoy. Stories are part of your legacy. Seniors can often find the quiet time to write down their stories or electronically record them for posterity. Share the stories by creating scrapbooks and documenting the advice you learned from previous generations. This is a great hobby to pursue and one that will be cherished by later generations to follow who are not aware now, how much it will mean to them later. Building your autobiographic legacy is an inexpensive way to stay connected and provide a rewarding contribution. To manage stress in your life as a senior woman takes some thought, planning and creativity.
For additional information and articles about stress management strategies you may want to visit The Stress Management Website and read some of the articles posted there.
How Do You Handle Change in Your Life
Avoiding Empty Nest Syndrome
Understanding Depression
Return to Stress Management Home Page
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