In Roseville, CA, it can be incredibly calming to experience the quiet community of Meadow Oaks of Roseville. However, with the CDC reporting that 12.1% of adults regularly feel anxiety, our staff must also cater to those who need a little extra help. If you are in a similar position, how do you ensure that you do everything you can to provide emotional support for aging adults?
Read on to discover some of the anxiety grounding techniques we leverage to help seniors refocus when anxiety spikes. Learn more about mindfulness routines you can incorporate into your visits to a loved one, and find out how we apply these senior calming strategies in our community.
We consider senior safety to be a core feature of our community. As such, we ensure that we stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the world of anxiety grounding techniques.
We understand that these shouldn't be used all the time, but are often situational, as panic attacks or other reasons to ground oneself do not occur frequently. However, it can help seniors feel emotionally steadier, redirecting their attention from the full extent of their worries to the details of their surroundings and the present situation.
Doing these can help reduce tension and build a senior's confidence in handling challenging situations, while also offering the ability to perform the steps oneself in the future.
One of the simplest coping tools for anxiety in seniors is to focus on a single sense -- for example, sight, sound, or touch. Doing this, especially for those new to the concept, can keep things simple.
When speaking with someone anxious, do so slowly, offering one instruction at a time, and demonstrate it yourself to show how achievable it is.
Start with a concept like the "5-4-3-2-1" technique. It's one of the most popular stress relief methods and involves pointing out:
In the case of taste, it tends to mean what they taste in their mouth at the moment. As such, it is often helpful to do this after a meal. Alternatively, you can use a piece of food or candy to trigger this sense.
Instead of the feeling of pressure, such as "The chair underneath me", consider using alternate touch senses. For example, if you feel a cool sensation from the air conditioning or a breeze, use that instead. If you perform this technique frequently, it can be helpful to do so to prevent the process from becoming stale.
You can even dig deeper into one sensation once you reach the end, asking where they feel it, or whether they want it to increase or decrease in the case of air conditioning. Doing this brings them into the present by asking them to consider their current comfort levels in more detail.
Also, make sure to check in with whether they become uncomfortable with specific senses. If it turns out that they find particular scents irritating or constantly hear one noise, it may be that they are subtly complaining about it, which could be contributing to their situation.
Slow breathing exercises, such as those practiced in yoga techniques, can be a powerful way to help someone practice deep breathing. For example, Kavitha et al (2024) found that anxiety disorders are significantly helped by using a series of yoga-related activities that include breathing control.
Use a steady in-out rhythm, with around four to six breaths per minute, to encourage calm. Such a simple concept can help a person control their oxygen intake, and it doesn't tend to be a difficult number to maintain. However, stop if dizziness occurs and consider alternative techniques instead.
Another standard option is to use "box breathing", which involves slow inhaling and holding, then exhaling and holding for equal amounts of time. Ask them to visualize a dot moving around the outside of a square, changing their breath from in to out every time the dot meets the edge.
If someone is overthinking specific concepts, use short prompts to help them reduce their mental load by offering a key focus.
Ask them specific questions, almost like a personalized quiz, to reduce their mental load, and include two choices with many of the questions to relieve the pressure.
Even questions as simple as "Would you prefer tea or coffee?" can help in this case. However, other options include things like:
You could also use a personal clock or calendar to support them in this thinking. If all they need to do is look over at it, then it removes any tension from having to remember.
Mindfulness is the concept of noting the present moment one exists in and not making a judgment on it. It can help to ground oneself, and developing a routine to do this daily can offer significant benefits.
For example, you could encourage someone to enjoy the following mindfulness routines:
Marking these as complete in a calendar or a journal can make them more impactful. They also allow for reflection, and numerous online resources exist to encourage further ways to utilize them.
Here at Meadow Oaks of Roseville, we can support calmer routines with consistent daily schedules, activities, and familiar faces in our daily staff. We can also help support our residents with daily movement encouragement and opportunities for social connection.
With our unique Vibrant Life and Elevate Dining offerings, daily life opens up, allowing for a whole range of new experiences that distract the senses and empower anxiety grounding techniques. So, get in contact today and learn how we can help you or a loved one find a calmer life.