Mental Health:

Mental health is one of the most important factors that need to be noticed in the very early stage of everybody's life. It is a state where people cannot be able to control themselves based on their pressure levels or might be loneliness. People these days often take precautions from psychiatrists to upgrade these mental issues that they're going through. According to researchers, mental health stands first in making a person stand up straight. Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. All these together make us perfect and proper humans.

Mental health problems are intensely identified by healthcare professionals and older people themselves, and the stigma surrounding these conditions makes people reluctant to seek help.

Risk factors for mental health problems among older adults:

Depression- The main and major loss that needs to be monitored closely. Mental health has an impact on physical health and vice versa. For example, older adults with physical health conditions such as heart disease have higher rates of depression than those who are healthy. Additionally, untreated depression in an older person with heart disease can negatively affect its outcome.

Elderly people are also vulnerable to elder abuse - including physical, verbal, psychological, financial abuse; abandonment; neglect; and serious losses of dignity and respect. Current evidence suggests that 5 out of 25 older people experience elder abuse. Elder abuse can lead not only to physical injuries but also to serious, sometimes long-lasting psychological consequences, including depression and anxiety.

Improving Mental Health:

These were the factors that can be helpful to elders or older adults to improve their health care.

1) Eat Well:

A very efficient and proper intake of foods helps in the proper growth of elders in order to keep them fit and healthy. This is one of the best ways to keep them active all the time. Healthy whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, pulses are the way to go. With healthier foods, the food is absorbed slowly and thus there are no mood swings.

2) Good Sleep:

Sleep is the major concerned element that can provide all beneficial things to the human body. Sleep releases many hormones in our body that make the right change of us. As with age, we become lighter sleepers, we need a longer duration of sleep to get adequate rest. Sleep improves concentration, memory formation, and restores any cell damage; overall refreshing the body's immune system.

3) Extra activities:

A well-known and loving activity such as writing, reading, playing, singing etc might help in keeping the person young from inside. With time on our hands as we age, identifying such activities and making an effort to engage in them can turn our day of loneliness into a day of enjoyment.

4) Exercise Regularly:

Stay fit and staying healthy is the base that might help in staying perfect. Exercise is known to improve mood and emotional well-being. It thereby prevents mental health issues. The double bonus is that it improved your overall physical health as well.

5) Maintain proper relationship:

Stay together - Stay in touch is the anthem that should be maintained once you turn old. Good relationships are the backbone of good mental health. It is often considered the most important contributor to happiness and wellbeing. Be it family, friends, colleagues, or neighbors, our relationships provide us a support system that not only helps us cope with stressors but also provides support in times of need for intervention. Sharing our feelings with others is a proven method of de-stressing.

6) Include spirituality:

Stay in touch with God, he stays in touch with you. The first and foremost impression that we Indians possess on the term is known as spirituality. Being involved in spiritual or religious practices has been linked with improved wellbeing for many people.

7) Get a pet:

Care for a pet and it cares for you more than you can do to yourself. Getting a pet involves caring it, enjoying and relaxing with it. Even you might get new friends when you take it out on a walk in the evenings; along with that it walking helps you to stay fit and active as much as you can. They are also likely to improve satisfaction and well-being.

8) Give to others:

Give and take is a general policy that I learned from my parents when I'm small. It is a form of kindness that helps you grow and stay happy at heart even for small things that you usually you used to. Performing small acts of kindness can give us a feeling of happiness and self-worth. It helps cancel out negative feelings about ourselves and leads to a feeling of contentment. You can engage yourself in the community, donate to a cause you believe in or volunteer at an NGO. It will not only be a service to society but will also be a rewarding engagement.

9) Convert into a technophile & stay in touch:

Be into technology, be a part of it and get closer to your people who stay away from you. Sending emails, messages, photos to friends and family can be a regular part of an elderly routine. Staying in touch on social media sites such as Whatsapp & Instagram can also prevent social isolation for the elderly, especially when their children live far, or in a different country.

10) Take care of health:

Health is considered an important factor, Health is wealth. The entire struggle we face is just because of it. Our mental and physical health is related and maintaining physical health is important in our attempt to maintain mental health. Making healthier life choices, taking out time for exercise and regular doctor's visits can help achieve this goal. It is never too late to take control of your health.

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