Building a positive mindset may help improve your overall wellness and longevity. You can strengthen your emotional resilience by reframing your thoughts and prioritizing self-care.
According to Psychology Today, about 95% of our thoughts are repetitive. Unfortunately, about 80% of our thoughts are negative. Ruminating on negative thoughts can cause stress, potentially increasing your risk of serious health conditions.
Building a positive mindset while retiring in Shiloh, IL, may improve your mental, physical, and emotional wellness. Effective techniques include journaling and exercising, which may relieve stress and strengthen your emotional resilience.
What are the best methods for improving senior self-esteem, and what are the benefits of emotional self-care? Read on to find out.
Stress may increase your risk of a mental health condition. According to the National Council on Aging, about one in five Americans experiences a mental illness in their lifetime. However, two-thirds of older adults never receive treatment.
Seniors face a higher risk of mental health issues due to:
Anxiety and depression symptoms can become debilitating. They may affect your ability to function and quality of life.
Stress and anxiety may cause you to self-isolate. Self-isolation and loneliness could increase your risk of:
Loneliness may impact some groups more than others, including older adults and people who live alone. Prioritizing your emotional self-care may relieve stress. This could help reduce your risk of health conditions associated with self-isolation and loneliness, including mental health issues.
According to the National Institute on Aging, optimism is linked to a longer lifespan and better emotional health. Improving your mindset in later life may help extend that life. Other benefits of staying optimistic include:
Building a positive mindset may strengthen your emotional resilience and senior self-esteem. Use these tips to improve your mindset later in life.
Exercise boosts the production of endorphins, or feel-good brain chemicals. An increase in beta-endorphin may trigger feelings of happiness and reduce feelings of pain.
Exercise may help offer stress relief benefits.It could protect the body from the harmful effects of stress by lowering your heart rate and blood pressure. It may even strengthen your immune system, protecting you from disease.
You can find engaging exercise classes through your senior living community's fitness program, such as:
Prioritize emotional self-care through:
These techniques may help relieve stress and anxiety. Otherwise, try identifying your negative thought patterns and triggers. When you encounter a negative thought, try focusing on what you can control to improve the situation.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. For example, you can find a support group through your local senior living community. Joining a support group may help:
According to Habitat for Humanity, volunteering may help:
You can find volunteer opportunities through your senior living community. Otherwise, check libraries, hospitals, and schools in Shiloh that are looking for volunteers.
Engaging in hobbies can give you a sense of accomplishment and purpose, which may boost senior self-esteem. You can discover a new passion through your senior living community's events and activities calendar, such as:
These hobbies may help you meet new people who share your passions. Engaging in hobbies could also help relieve stress, boost your mood, and improve life satisfaction.
Though there's no root cause of negative thinking, there are cognitive distortions that may trigger negativity, including:
If you experience negative thinking, try to identify the cognitive distortion. Challenge your thinking. Did you consider all the facts?
Offset negative thoughts by focusing on the good instead. Compassionate self-talk may help encourage positivity.
Moving into a new living space may feel daunting. You can adapt to this change by:
Building a positive mindset could improve your mental, physical, and emotional wellness during your retirement in Shiloh, IL. It may enhance your quality of life and extend your longevity. Try prioritizing your emotional self-care to protect your overall wellness by moving into an independent living community like Addington Place of Shiloh.
We were proudly ranked number one in customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power 2025 US Senior Living Satisfaction Study. Enjoy our exclusive senior lifestyle programs, including restaurant-style dining with attentive tableside service, engaging activities like art workshops and cooking lessons, or on-site fitness classes like tai chi. Contact us now to schedule a tour.