Gloomy Mood...Problem Solved

Gloomy Mood—Problem Solved

The blues are a part of life—for some people more than others. Hormones are involved, but they don’t explain all the lowness.  That means a wide variety of therapies can help you walk on sunshine rather than paint it black.  Read on to review the following tips for a more glowing mood.

Music—The soul soothing is real.  Music activates brain pleasure centers, makes us feel connected and shifts our focus.

Nature—Tell depression to take a hike, literally.  Absorbing the sights, smells, and sounds of natural spaces relieves stress and boosts mood.  It also provides a strong dose of sunlight.

Activity—Step away from your chair.  30 minutes of brisk walking can increase oxygen and blood flow to the brain and boost your mood.

Sleep—Easier said than done, right? The ingredients of good sleep will be familiar: regular sleep and wake times, at least 7 hours of shuteye, and no electronic screens in the last hour before bedtime.

Rethinking—Therapy gives you tools.  Cognitive behavior therapy teaches patients how thoughts and actions bring them down and how to interpret these situations more positively.

Send your thoughts and comments about Tracey’s Corner to tracey@touchingheartsseniorcare.com

Touching Hearts Healthy View

Mindfulness Matters

It’s a complicated world out there.  People everywhere are figuring out how to stay balanced.  With the daily pressures of work, family, finances, debt and exhaustion, it’s a challenge for any of us to find a moment to quiet our minds from the constant stressors in life.

Mindfulness can help people of any age.  That’s because we become what we think.  If you have a negative thought, it perpetuates a negative worldview.  But if you supplant each negative thought with three positive ones, you begin to restructure your brain.  Research has shown that this practice can lift you out of depression.

People talk about the brain weakening as it ages. Meditation thickens the cortex, where we make decisions, analyze, feel more connected to others and dream.  That is why it is essential to take time to breathe or spend a few minutes in nature away from phones and computers.  You start to live for now, rather than what’s next or worse, waiting for the end to come.

Step 1—Sit with your belly softened and take 3 deep breaths.  Now focus on breathing normally

Step 2—When thoughts arise, let them go like clouds passing in the sky.

Step 3—Be patient.  Your heart rate will slow and your stress will eventually melt away.

Touching Hearts Senior Care provides exceptional in home care for older adults in the Mobile and Baldwin Counties.  For more information about Touching Hearts Senior Care, please call 251-445-4204.