Mental health is essential to our well-being. Mental health includes how we think, feel, act, and engage with our surroundings. It is equally important to look after our mental health as it is our physical health. Here are some tips for seniors to improve and maintain mental health.
- Be Active – Recent research has found moderate exercise, specifically weight training, to be as effective in treating mild depression as medication. Strengthening muscles, joints, and bones also helps improve balance and decrease the chance of falls and immobility, which can lead to mental health issues. Rotary Villas offers daily exercise classes suitable for all physical abilities, whether you are in a wheelchair, use a walker or can walk for miles.
- Listen to Music – Studies have shown that music can sooth anxious nerves and lift spirits by tapping into the rewards center of the brain, which releases hormones like dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin into the body. Rotary Villas has weekly sing-a-longs, musical entertainment, and has an accredited music therapist offering music therapy a couple times a month.
- Get Social – Good relationships are the backbone of good mental health. It is often considered the most important contributor to happiness and well-being. The number one cause of mental illness in seniors is loneliness and isolation. Staying social can take work for seniors as they may be far from family, have limited mobility and be missing a spouse. Rotary Villas is a community where you meet your neighbors for meals, entertainment, birthday parties, etc. Someone is always around for a chat. Our community of seniors is always watching out for each other.
- Eating Regular Nutritious Meals – Proper healthy nutrition can help seniors maintain positive mental health as well as physical health. Rotary Villas offers a menu that follows Canada’s Food Guide for seniors. Healthy whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, proteins and regular meal times all contribute to a healthy life.
- Exercise Your Brain – Keeping your brain engaged and active is important. Some of the best mental activities include reading, playing card games, doing puzzles or crafts or other forms of art like painting, etc. All of these activities and more are offered at Rotary Villas.
Follow these five steps and you will be taking a positive step towards improving and maintaining good mental health.