In the world of relationship counseling, there’s a clear distinction between solvable problems and perpetual ones. According to The Gottman Institute, solvable problems are those with a practical, viable solution, but perpetual problems are those that couples will certainly never solve.
Taking a problem-based approach is great for those solvable problems in life, but if you try such an approach on perpetual issues, you’ll have even more problems. To address these kinds of problems, many seniors here in Blue Ridge, GA, are turning to emotion-focused coping.
So, what exactly is emotion-focused coping, and how can this method of emotional resilience for seniors help with stress relief? Read on to learn more.
Emotion Focused Coping: A Collection of Techniques
Emotion-based coping isn’t any specific technique; instead, it’s more of a loose collection of healthy coping strategies that seniors can use to help manage their feelings.
A lot of people think that retirement is all about relaxing and enjoying not having to work from 9 to 5, but coping with change in aging can have a big effect on mental health.
All these techniques are aimed at regulating feelings of a stressful event rather than addressing the event itself. While fixing the problem is sometimes the fastest way to return to relaxation, it isn’t always possible. For example, seniors are unlikely to fix the following problems:
- Chronic health conditions
- Age-related memory lapses
- Close friends passing away
- Giving up driving
Instead, they can turn to emotion-focused coping techniques. These coping methods help seniors address the negative feelings of these problems. Now, let’s dive deep into some of the specific emotion-focused coping methods.
Emotional Regulation via Mindfulness
One of the most well-known of the emotion-focused coping techniques is probably mindfulness. According to a National Library of Medicine article, mindfulness can have a measurable effect on both mental and physical well-being. The core principle of mindfulness is observing your emotions without judgment or action.
That sounds fairly simple, but the challenge lies in keeping it up when you’re angry or upset. While you probably won’t be able to serenely feel your anger drift away when you’re a beginner, as you learn more, you’ll get better at accepting things.
Another emotional resilience for seniors technique is called body scanning. This involves systematically scanning the sensations in your body. According to an article in the Biomedicines journal, this activates the insula, which is the brain’s hub for internal awareness.
By redirecting your brainpower here, you focus energy away from the amygdala, which is responsible for stress.
One of the best things about mindfulness is how accessible it is. You don’t need to have weeks of lessons or access to specialized facilities. You can easily adapt mindfulness techniques to your routine and lifestyle.
Reframe Your Thoughts with Positive Reframing
Are you someone who lets their negative thoughts spiral out of control? When one thought leads to another, it’s easy to rapidly go from wondering if you turned off the oven to full-blown panic that you’ve burned your house down. Emotional reframing is when you swap out these catastrophic and critical thoughts for something more neutral or positive.
Of course, this doesn’t mean ignoring the oven situation completely. Instead, you search for a more positive angle, encouraging your brain to take a different approach.
For example, maybe this is the third time this week you worried about the oven, in that case. It seems unlikely that you’ve forgotten. Try looking at the situation with humor instead of anxiety, and you’ll start feeling less anxious.
By changing the way you think about problems, you’ll change the way you feel about them as well.
Deal With Your Emotions via Journaling
Putting your ideas on paper gives them a defined form that you can analyze. It’s more than just a creative writing exercise; there are real health benefits, too. Free writing lowers blood pressure and calms the nervous system.
What you’re writing on the page takes over the burden your mind was carrying.
Start with plain facts: what happened, what you feel, what you fear. Carry on writing even if you are repeating yourself. After recording all the chaos for a while, order emerges.
One of the main benefits of this kind of journaling is emotional catharsis. By expressing your raw feelings by writing in a journal, you’re processing your feelings similarly to when you explain them to a friend or loved one.
Journaling could also be a helpful part of memory care and emotional support. If your memory is less reliable, it makes sense to keep a reliable record.
Talk to Someone You Trust
One of the most basic but most effective emotional support methods is to talk with someone you trust. Humans are meant to be social, and our brains are wired to process emotions through interacting with our loved ones.
One of the main advantages of this kind of emotional support is that it provides immediate emotional relief. Something like mindfulness is useful, but it takes time to be capable. But most people have a trusted friend or family member they can depend on and share their feelings with.
Sad to say, a lot of older people don’t have anyone they can talk to, so they miss out on effective senior stress relief. The number of trusted contacts can decrease over time due to bereavement, or social opportunities may also decrease when you don’t have a car.
Senior living communities can help. For seniors who struggle to find social connections, these communities are an opportunity for a new start among like-minded peers. Often, all it takes for a senior to change their emotional perspective is a fresh new environment.
Visit Our Blue Ridge, GA Community
Emotion-focused coping is the perfect way to address those perpetual problems that don’t have a viable solution. If you change the way you think about things and deal with your feelings in a healthy way, you can feel calm and in control again, even if the situation won’t change.
Are you interested in seeing what a fresh new environment could do for you or your loved one? Why not schedule a visit here at our Blue Ridge, GA, community? Contact us today and discover Blue Ridge Assisted Living & Memory Care’s award-winning SHINE Memory Care Program.
