Before a senior reaches a point where he or she is all mellow and embraces a come-what-may attitude, they will go through a phase when emotions run wild – some seniors don’t even get pass it! Young ones should understand that an aging body undergoes tremendous changes – at a very fast rate, at that – that these changes have become harder to accept especially when dealing with other non-age-related ongoings such as loss of a loved-one and financial problems.
The ability to cope with problems is no longer an issue a senior could focus on. Like I said earlier, if a senior couldn’t bring themselves to just accept aging as it comes, it is only natural for this person to feel angry all the time. Whether you’re the caregiver or the senior himself wanting to control your anger, this post points out some things you can do to manage your emotions particularly your anger.
Your comfort comes number one. There’s nothing more annoying than be in a place where you are not comfortable being in. If you are a caregiver, try not to move them from one place to another especially if your senior is going through a hard time. Being in a place where everything is unfamiliar can surely bring on not so good responses from our elderly friends. As much as possible, let them be in a place where they feel safe and comfortable so they could deal with their emotions better.
Try to limit changes. As you are right now, you got your plate full so try to deal with what’s in front of you right now to be able to prevent stress from happening. Take the one-at-a-time approach so you’ll not trigger undesirable emotions.
Taking up new interest and/or hobbies can also help you turn your misunderstood emotions into something more productive. When I’m angry, I go to the gym and have my rage spent on full blown exercising. You’ll not believe how much sweat you’ll be able to get out of your system after a rage-fueled session! More so, you’ll actually feel good and less angry at the end of your exercise session – it certainly beats one session with your mind doctor which usually ends up in more meds to take.
Frustrations almost always end up in anger – even young ones know that! For seniors however, it doubles up the chances since they are most likely to be frustrated how limited their capabilities have become and how helpless they feel most of the time. On top of making your senior comfortable at all times, emotionally and physically, try to make them feel they are still part of the family, and that they still have worth. This way your senior won’t feel worthless.