People experience stress every day. It’s not uncommon. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million U.S. adults experience anxiety. Stress is even more common and is normal. Chronic stress is a problem that needs addressing.
If your parents find their stress interferes with their daily routines, it’s a problem. Excessive stress can increase blood pressure, cause headaches, lead to hives and other skin rashes, and lead to insomnia. In some situations, stress can temporarily cause heart palpitations that can feel like a fluttering, skipped beats, or very rapid heart rate.
Is Stress Dangerous?
When managed, stress isn’t dangerous. If your parents don’t learn to manage it, it can increase the risk of other issues like anxiety attacks, depression, and addiction. Learning to manage stress is the key to reducing the risk of these mental health conditions.
Tips for Reducing Stress
Stress management is the best way to keep stress from becoming an issue. It’s not hard to manage stress, but it may require a few lifestyle changes.
-First, your parents need to get daily exercise. Get them outside of the house for a daily walk. Fresh air and sun help a lot. If they can’t go outside, Tai Chi, Yoga, and Zumba are good inside activities that ease stress and clear the mind.
-The second step is to address the issues that cause your parents’ stress. If they’re always worried about making ends meet on their fixed income, sit down and go over their finances with them. Look for places where they could be saving money. If they only watch two channels on their TV and pay for premium cable, it is cost-effective to drop cable and get those two channels over a streaming device.
-The third thing to do is change the diet. Your parents can ease some stress by lowering their intake of foods that are high in sugar. They’ll also find it’s better to limit caffeinated beverages and switch to decaf coffee and tea. Herbal iced tea is just as refreshing and cuts out the caffeine that could be making them jittery.
-Finally, take the fourth step and make sure your parents have support at home. Aging at home may be stressful for them if they struggle with certain daily activities. If meal preparation is hard, caregivers could cook meals. If they no longer drive and get stressed because they never go out and socialize, caregivers can drive them around.
Home care services are arranged to meet your parents’ needs. They may want caregivers around once a week. They may want daily visits. Call a home care specialist to talk about prices and to make arrangements
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care in Oregon City, OR, please contact the caring staff at Integrity In-Home Care. Call today (503) 660-3755
Sources:
https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics