How Does Love Affect Our Physical Health?
We all know that love can give us a physical reaction – a quickened heart rate, butterflies in our stomachs, dilated pupils, sweaty palms, and a hard time finding words. Love affects our physical health on many different levels. Love Promotes Emotional and Mental Wellbeing Many studies have shown that a healthy and supportive relationship – romantic, familial, friendship, or otherwise can be linked to higher self-esteem, increased sense of self-worth, and improved self-confidence. No matter what form it comes in, love helps people incorporate safer behaviours into their everyday lives, reduces anxiety (worry, nervousness), and lowers the chance of developing depression or another form of mental illness. Love Changes Your Brain Chemistry Several brain chemicals and hormones can be attributed to love, but two specifically stand out: dopamine and oxytocin. Dopamine is a brain chemical that releases when you see or feel something pleasurable. It makes you want more of it. Oxytocin, a hormone that calms and helps couples bond, helps promote intimacy between two people. It’s also referred to as the ‘cuddle hormone’. This hormone is also released when playing with or petting your dog. Falling Out of Love Hurts When someone we love hurts us or is no longer part of our lives for one reason or another, our health can take a hit. This is because physical and emotional feelings use the same pain centres, and our brain uses the same neurological pathways to feel those feelings. You may have heard of broken heart syndrome, but
Supporting Anti-ageism
Ageism arises when age is used to categorize and divide people in ways that lead to harm, disadvantage, and injustice. It can take many forms including prejudicial attitudes, discriminatory acts, and institutional policies and practices that perpetuate stereotypical beliefs. Ageism affects how we think, feel and act towards others and ourselves based on age. It imposes powerful barriers to the development of good policies and programmes for older and younger people, and has profound negative consequences on older adults’ health and well-being. There is no reason to experience discrimination as you get older. With some effort, you can overcome ageism. The following suggestions may help: Speak up: Don’t let yourself be pushed around because you’re older, and always make an effort to participate in conversations. Engage in the world: People who stay active – mentally and physically – can overcome ageism more easily. Follow the news, live in the present, and look to the future. Show your children and grandchildren that you’re aware of what’s going on around you. Be positive: Attitude has a lot to do with how people can overcome ageism. Relish the experience and wisdom that come with age and put them to good use. Be as independent as you can: There’s a concept of learned helplessness. If you assume that because you’re a certain age, you’re unable to do certain things, you won’t be able to do them. You won’t lose those abilities if you continue to do for yourself what you can. Stay active: Surround yourself with younger people. Join in
The Importance of Celebrating Birthdays
When we get older, birthdays seem to hold increasingly less significance. We tend to focus on the significant milestones that occur in our youth, with the size of our birthday celebrations decreasing with each passing year. However, celebrating birthdays can be beneficial for people across all stages of life, and in many ways, they become even more important as we age. Birthdays Encourage Reflection A birthday is a celebration of life. When a senior’s birthday is recognised, they are encouraged to reflect on their past as they recognise their place in the present. Although many older adults feel a sense of melancholy when they are reminded of their age during a birthday celebration, birthday celebrations for seniors can be approached in a way that celebrates their cherished memories and accomplishments, and not just their age. Many seniors, especially those with memory loss conditions, feel a sense of distance between their past and present. When a senior is encouraged to think about their past, they are better able to assign meaning to their life experience and revisit their place in the world to create a more meaningful present in retirement. This offers a holistic sense of identity for a senior that is vital to one’s dignity and well-being. Celebration Makes Seniors Feel Loved In addition to encouraging seniors to recognise their memories and accomplishments, a birthday allows seniors to recognise better and appreciate the circle of love and support that surrounds them as friends and family gather to celebrate. Loneliness plagues
The Benefits and Dangers of Sunlight for Seniors
When it comes to seniors’ health, we all want easy answers. But sometimes, senior health can be complicated for seniors and senior care providers alike. Take sunshine, for instance. One day, you might read that sunlight’s beneficial for seniors, providing a range of benefits to their physical and mental health. On another day, you might read that sunlight is harmful to the elderly, putting seniors at risk for a range of conditions. The fact is that there are both benefits and dangers to sunlight for seniors. Sunlight Linked to Healthy Bones, Mood & Sleep Sunlight has been linked to a range of health benefits, some of which are particularly important for seniors. Most of these benefits are related to vitamin D. Human beings are only able to produce Vitamin D naturally through exposure to the sun. Healthy levels of vitamin D carry a range of benefits for seniors that include stronger bones, better mood, improved cognition and cardiovascular health. Exposure to sunlight is also linked to improved sleep patterns in seniors. Our natural sleep schedule is heavily influenced by sunlight, so a lack of exposure to the sun can trigger insomnia or irregular sleeping patterns. Sunlight Carries Risk of Skin Cancer The biggest danger of sunlight is skin cancer. Skin cancer and sunlight are linked due to radiation from ultraviolet (or UV) light. Overexposure to UV light is the most significant risk factor for skin cancer. Finding a Healthy Balance With the benefits and dangers of sunlight for seniors, it can be tough for
Listen to the Elders!
We should listen to our elders, not because they are always right, but because they have more experience in being wrong. Listen and learn from seniors. And why not? Just living for so many years gives them the advantage of seeing the world longer and understanding people better. Here are ten timeless tips from our seniors: Learn to be youthful Youth is not just a time in life; it is a state of mind. It’s that attitude that lets you take calculated risks and make mistakes until you learn from them. Make the most of your youth, but also learn youthfulness. Be flexible Flexibility and independence in this wild, wild world are worth learning. If you have never stepped out of your comfort zone, now is the time. Seniors have learnt the knack of being independent and flexible, and handling big responsibilities – all while having adventures! Get off that high horse An important habit of learning from seniors is to be kind and humble. The elderly will always remind you that you don’t know what others are going through. Just observing some older people in our lives can help us empathise with others in various situations. Grow a funny bone In a world where venting out is cool, and bitterness and jealousy compete with each other on social media, who doesn’t like someone who lightens up the mood and makes you laugh hard? Seniors often remind you to find humour in life. Make your own decisions Worrying about what
Active Ageing
Care in Midstream supports active ageing – under the watchful and loving direction of our Occupational Therapists, we facilitate a range of individual and group activities for our residents. Studies show that seniors who stay socially active and engaged experience a variety of benefits, including: Better cognitive function Social activities keep us sharp and mentally engaged. Maintaining good emotional health Connecting with others helps keep you in a positive mood, which in turn wards off depression. Improved physical health Socially active seniors tend to be more physically active, too. Plus, you tend to eat more and make better food choices when you eat with others. Boosted immune system Studies show that seniors who stay engaged with others, and life around them, have higher levels of immune-system functioning. Enjoying restful sleep If you have difficulty sleeping at night, it could be that you’re feeling isolated and lonely. Research shows that people who have more fulfilling relationships in their lives tend to sleep better than those who don’t. Increased happiness Live a happier life by keeping your social circle strong. Friends and loved ones help you deal with life’s daily stresses, and are often key to encouraging you to live a healthier lifestyle, too.