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By Julianna Stewart
When you’re feeling lonely, it can seem like you’re the only person in the world who feels that way, but it’s a common emotion many of us share as we get older.
It’s normal for our lives to change - things may become a little slower and quieter as our families have grown and moved, careers have ended and sadly, friends or loved ones may have passed away.
It can be a time where you can feel a little lost and isolated. When this feeling of sadness continues for a long time, it can impact on our emotional and mental wellbeing, as well as our physical health.
It can be hard to reach out when you’re older because you feel out of your comfort zone, but social connection is so important to our overall health and wellbeing.
Sometimes it takes only a small change to make a big difference. A slight adjustment to your weekly routine can make you feel more connected to other people.
Here are some ideas to get you on the track to a happier life:
Take up a hobby or interest
You don’t have to be a master painter or have an outstanding talent to join a local club or activity group. Many classes held at community and activity centres are tailored for all skill levels and offer a friendly and welcoming environment. There’s lots of things you can enjoy – gardening, craft, cooking groups, furniture restoration, dancing, a love of books, you name it!
Think about past activities you enjoyed – are there things you have wanted to do, but have never had the time or courage to try? Now is that time to get started and discover new interests which will give you something to look forward to each week and a chance to meet new people.
Keep active
The loss of mobility can have an impact on your participation in activities, ability to meet with friends, attend family events, or even keep up with the grandkids. Keeping mobile will help you keep these social connections.
Your mood can also be improved with physical activity. Gentle exercise, such as walking, yoga or tai chi, can increase your self-confidence and resilience, as well as helping to create a positive mindset to help ward off negative thoughts and feelings about ageing.
You can also visit a Wellness Centre which has programs and state-of-the-art equipment
specifically designed for seniors, or participate in a virtual exercise class from the comfort of your own home. This Active Ageing blog will give you some ideas to get started.
Try volunteering
Offering a helping hand can give you a sense of purpose while also providing opportunities to meet other people. Hospitals, charities and not-for-profit organisations such as land care and wildlife groups are often in need of volunteers. Even if you can only commit to a few hours a week, this gives you something to look forward to, a chance to learn something new and meet other like-minded people.
Expand your knowledge
You’re never too old to learn something new. It can be as simple as borrowing a book from the library on a topic you want to find out more about – astronomy, wildlife, gardening or even places of interest. If you want to become more tech savvy so that you can use the internet, apps and other features, there’s many ways you can get up to speed such as joining a digital dialogue program. A short course on any topic that is of interest to you is a great way to build your confidence.
Stay connected
Expand your social circle as much as possible by reaching out to neighbours, keeping in touch with friends and family, and looking for opportunities to meet new people.
Aged care providers, such as integratedliving Australia, can help you stay connected and offer you support to feel well through a range of programs and centres you can visit.
There are also several virtual programs which can be accessed via a computer, laptop or tablet including Wellness exercise classes, music and singing, and games and trivia.
Keeping yourself mentally and physically active, finding purpose and activities to look forward to, can bring you positive changes that make you feel better in yourself and better about your life as you age.
Combatting loneliness requires some effort but sometimes just making one change to your
weekly routine is enough to get you on track to a happier life.
To find out more about programs and services offered by integratedliving Australia head to
www.integratliving.org.au
