“At age 20, we worry about what others think of us. At age 40, we don’t care what they think of us. At age 60, we discover, they haven’t been thinking of us at all.”
-Ann Landers
As we age, our lives take a new turn, and even though we go into a whole different space mentally where we don’t have the urgency to keep proving our worth. But, other things creep up. Things like body aches, weak limbs, forgetfulness, and sometimes an over-rush of emotions can constitute a major part of life then. Mindfulness is an effective solution that can help you overcome these troubles, enhance positivity, and reduce anxiety. It helps to curb heart ailments, blood pressure irregularities and even improve immunity by keeping you happy and healthy. So, let’s learn more about how this fun hobby can benefit the elderly.
5 Ways Mindfulness Helps in Old Age
Enhances Awareness
Old age wears us down even with the easiest of the daily routine. Sometimes, getting up from the bed may seem tough. But with mindfulness, you gain a new perspective on your old life. You feel motivated to follow your routine because you understand the purpose of your life. You live in the ‘now moment’ without thinking about the past or the future. This creates a ray of positive emotions in you and improves your mood.
“Meditation is something that changes your destiny. If you just sit for a while and go deep within and repose in the self, things start to change.”
~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Fights Insomnia
There is no doubt that insomnia is one of the concerns of ageing people. There could be multiple reasons for that. For some people it is so severe that they take regular medications for sleep. Mindfulness, slow breathing, and drawing attention to your body parts sends a cognitive message to relax the mind & body before sleeping.
Relieves Stress and Depression
Our emotions are different as we age and sometimes severely affect us. Thoughts of retirement, being left out, not given importance, loneliness, inactivity can keep emerging. They push a person to overthink and leads to stress. Mindfulness can help you channel your negative thoughts into the stream of consciousness. The conscious being then replaces these negative feelings with positivity and hope. For example, With mindfulness, you think of steps to be taken for a healthy today instead of thinking about the sleeplessness of last night.
Allows Savoring the Moment
Most elderly claim that they wait for death as they age. They lose interest in eating anything or going anywhere. With regular mindfulness, they become attentive and more focussed on their present. They tend to notice the beauty around them, enjoy the taste of their food and even have fun doing their daily tasks. Some even take up hobbies that keep them engaged and happy. Mindfulness and meditation teach them to savor each moment as it passes.
“Meditation is the journey from sound to silence, from movement to stillness, from a limited identity to unlimited space.”
~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Keeps Health in Check
With mindfulness and other practices such as progressive relaxation, deep breathing, the elderly can keep their health in check. Managing chronic back pain, insomnia, digestion issues, eyesight problems, and higher blood pressure becomes easier with such practices. As a result, health-related costs reduce, the intake of drugs reduces, and the mind stays stress and anxiety free.
Conclusion
Mindfulness can help you at any age. But, as you grow old, its usefulness only quadruples. Sparing some time for meditation, breathing exercises, or mindfulness can work wonders to slow down the development of many old age diseases like Alzheimer’s, Arthritis, and other cardiovascular issues. As a result of a balanced lifestyle, you also tend to feel happier, improve your relationships with others and reflect positivity. For people addicted to alcohol or drugs, mindfulness helps them live without the addiction and feel healthier. So, what are you waiting for? Aren’t you willing to give life a second chance?
“However your past is, just kick that, be in the present and move on. You are a bird, you may fall but you have wings, continue to fly!.”
~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Learn the art of effective mindfulness through our meditation programs. Join us today and bring a remarkable difference to your lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions on Mindfulness for the Elderly
Mindfulness enhances your consciousness i.e. it brings your focus to your present. It makes you understand the purpose of your life. It positively impacts your psychology, thereby allowing you to manage your mind. With positive self-talk, you become better at managing stress, depression, and anxiety which are the causes of many physical problems such as chronic pain, gastrointestinal issues, cardiovascular problems, etc.
Mindfulness can enhance the sense of spirituality in a person. It improves focus and connects you with your inner self, just as spirituality does. Mindfulness is one of the major steps of spirituality but has no religious implications. While spirituality is a vast concept, mindfulness only implies being in the present.
Reducing screen time, helping others, volunteering for greater causes, taking up a new hobby, and connecting with the inner self through meditation are some ways to improve mindfulness. In one way or the other, they help in staying away from unnecessary distractions.
Mindfulness is to have your mind in the present moment and be aware of your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and surrounding environment.
Mindful means focusing on the ‘now’ being in the present moment or the task you are doing. Mind full is being full of thoughts, feelings, and to-do lists.
