Nobody likes to be stressed out. And while there are those in our lives who seem to be a magnet for drama, chances are they don’t want to deal with stress either.
Regardless, getting stressed from time to time is simply a part of life. But when you reach your later years, stress can be both debilitating and can also cause (or worsen) other health conditions.
We all work hard to live in this world. So when we finally make it to retirement age and set out to live our golden years, we want to be able to enjoy it. And let’s face it, nobody wants to end up in a nursing home, especially with elderly abuse in nursing homes being such a prevalent problem affecting thousands of older adults.
If you’re worried about being stressed out and you’re looking forward to relaxing into your golden years, the following suggestions may offer a bit of help.
Go Fishing
One of the best ways to de-stress from life is to get out of the house and get into the great outdoors. And fishing is a perfect pastime to take up if you want an activity to do outdoors.
But fishing? Really? Yes, fishing is actually a relaxing activity for several reasons, and this assertion is even backed by science.
For example, moving water creates negative ions. And these ions are known to produce a state of calm in mammals. In fact, negative ions can lower the heart rate, improve cardiovascular function, calm the mind, and help to boost the immune system.
In addition, being outside among the trees and foliage provides an oxygen rich environment that can help to improve focus and clarity of mind. So go fishing, and relax into your golden days.
Take a Road Trip
Believe it or not, but the open road has a way of calming the mind. And it’s this mesmerizing quality that road trip enthusiasts seek out when they embark on a cross-country trip.
You may think that taking to the road might cause undue stress. But this is only true if you actually believe that you have to be at a certain place by a certain time. The key to a great road trip is to allow the journey to take place, while you sit along and watch the passing scenery.
A road trip doesn’t need an agenda or an itinerary. You can just casually go wherever you please, whenever you like. After all, you’re retired, right? So take your time and allow the road to work its magic.
No matter where you go, you’ll be seeing a new place and making new memories. And you might even discover a new part of yourself along the way.
Learn to Paint
Indulging in a creative process has its own way of calming the mind and the body. And simply by working with your hands and engaging in the process of creation, you’ll be in your natural human element.
We humans are all innately creative. We were born through a creative process, perhaps the most magical of all. This is why we are naturally able to use our imagination as children, and we’re drawn to creative activities.
Taking time to paint, or to draw, engages this creative force within the mind. And as you allow yourself to sink into the process, your body will naturally relax and you’ll reach a level of calm that can produce alpha waves in the brain, which are thought to boost creativity by upwards of 10 percent.
If you want to relax and reduce stress in your later years, exploring activities that you otherwise never have experienced can have a dramatic effect on your mood and your overall demeanor. And all it takes is a little initiative to seek out these activities and explore them when you have time. And when you’re retired, you might find that you have a whole lot of time to do so.
