Is it possible to “think” your way to better health? Research shows that, for many seniors, a positive mindset can lead to positive health results. In fact, when it comes to health and seniors, there is growing evidence that the effects of positive thinking include:

  • Longer lifespan
  • Lower rates of depression
  • Greater resistance to the common cold
  • Better psychological and physical wellbeing
  • A stronger immune system
  • Improved cardiovascular health
  • Better coping skills to combat stress

A 30-year patient study of the effects of optimism versus pessimism revealed that optimism helped decrease patients’ risk of early death by almost 20 percent.

So how does one consistently put themselves in a positive frame of mind?

How to Gain a Positive Mindset

There are strategies to eliminate and exchange unhealthy negative thoughts for a life-enhancing positive mindset. It begins with a self-evaluation of the thought processes—the self-talk that occupies our minds. Is it positive or is it negative?

Do you magnify and emphasize the negative?  The tree in your front yard puts on a display of brilliant colors in the fall. Do you stop to appreciate its beauty or immediately despair at the thought of all the leaves that will have to be raked?

Do you often blame yourself? You have no patience with yourself when something doesn’t go as planned. You tell yourself that you didn’t think it through, or you didn’t try hard enough.

Do you anticipate the worst? You are often discouraged by small setbacks, and expect that things will just not go well. You have impossibly high standards, and when they are not met, you can’t get past the feeling of your perceived failure.

Do you see everything as good or bad? There is no level of “good enough” for you—no middle ground. Only perfection will do. And because life contains a lot of imperfection, you are constantly frustrated with yourself… and others.

To change feelings of negativity requires evaluating and reversing your negative thought processes into positive ones. Try the following strategies:

  1. Periodically ask yourself what you are thinking. If you are churning out negative thoughts, consider ways to turn them positive. Your dog is barking out the window of your home at someone and you feel your irritation mounting. But if you think about it, the dog is actually reacting to what he or she believes is a threat, and is protecting you and the home. Distract the dog but think about the positive reason for the behavior.
  2. Laugh. There are a lot of things in life that are not laughing matters. Perhaps you are in poor health, worried about finances, or concerned about the state of the world in general. But it’s important to find something to laugh or at least smile about. Laughter lowers the level of the stress hormone, cortisol, and raises the levels of beta-endorphins (the feel-good chemicals of the body). It has also been shown that laughter lowers heart attack risk and increases pain tolerance.
  3. Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Exercise has been shown to improve mood as well as physical health. Try to perform a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate activity exercise each week. Consult with your physician if you have not exercised for a while and build up your endurance slowly. Couple the exercise with a healthy diet. The combination will boost your confidence and your outlook on life.
  4. Base your goals upon reality. If you are trying to exercise and eat nutritious food—good for you! Will you cheat on your diet once in a while, skip a workout, or fail to lose the 25 pounds in the two months you have allotted for your transformation? Most likely—yes. But your body may not cooperate with your expectations, and failure is part of being human. Forget it and forgive yourself when you falter or don’t meet all your goals. Start from where you are. Don’t beat yourself up. And celebrate your incremental improvements along the way to a healthier you.
  5. Surround yourself with positive people. Negativity and positivity are both contagious. Positive, supportive people will enhance your mood.
  6. Practice positive self-talk. If you start to feel negative about yourself, reflect upon your positive attributes, and things for which you are thankful. When you wake up in the morning, consider the positive things you can do in the day ahead, and the wonderful people who are a part of your life.  A big part of developing a positive mindset is acknowledging your self-worth.

How to Encourage Positivity in Senior Adults

As a caregiver or adult child, you need to find ways to keep your senior loved one positive about themselves.

It’s important to encourage them to stay connected to friends, family, and participate in social activities because isolation breeds unhealthy negativity.

Cultivate and share your own positivity with your senior. Older people may feel they are a burden to their children, so showing your joy when you are around them and sharing your own positive thoughts about life will help them feel more positive.

Emphasize the senior’s importance to his or her family and friends, and encourage them to continue performing the tasks they are capable of and pursuing interests, activities and hobbies they enjoy.

Visit Bethesda’s blog to find more articles revealing the keys to living a long, healthy life.

Whether in independent living, assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing, Bethesda offers the right amenities, services, programming, and staff to make every day full of purpose. See for yourself and tour our independent living communities, including Bethesda Barclay House – Clayton, Bethesda Gardens – Kirkwood, Bethesda Orchard – Webster Groves, Bethesda Terrace – South County, Village North Retirement Community – Florissant, and The Oaks at Bethesda Villas – Kirkwood/Webster.
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