Setting Up a Mindfulness Routine for Seniors

Incorporating Mindful Practices Into Your Everyday Routine

Many seniors (and people in general) function on an autopilot basis every day. There are certain things that they have gotten so used to doing that they don't need to think about them while doing them. This can include everyday tasks such as eating, drinking, bathing, grooming, and cleaning. It can also include somewhat more complex tasks such as cooking, choosing an outfit to wear, meeting a friend, etc. Seniors can perform all these tasks without thinking much. However, it can also help them a great deal to be present when doing them. And that's what a mindfulness routine is all about—for seniors to be aware of what they're doing which, in turn, can greatly increase the pleasure they take in things.

Advantages of Mindfulness

For seniors, a mindfulness routine can be very helpful.

It can keep their senses sharp: When seniors make an effort to sense what's going on around them, they need to use their senses more which helps in keeping them sharp.
It can keep them interested in what they are doing: If they are aware of what they're doing and take more pleasure in it, then they will feel more mentally interested as well.
It can increase productivity: If the senior is working on a project, then being mindful can keep them more interested in the project, which can increase flow states and productivity.
It can regulate appetite: When seniors are aware of what they're eating, they enjoy their food more. So they'll eat more of the right foods for their bodies. If they tend to overeat, they will likely stop doing so, and if they tend to undereat, then they'll end up eating more.
It can help to avoid overuse injuries: If seniors are more aware of little aches and pains in the body, then they will give it the rest it needs and avoid injuries in the long run.

How Seniors Can Practice Mindfulness

There are many ways in which a senior can be mindful of themselves, their bodies, and their surroundings. The simplest way is to just open up the senses—sight, vision, touch, taste, and smell—and pay attention to the things they are seeing in front of them. They should take in all the details rather than block them out. What do they hear? What do they smell? Is there any pain in their body? Or any pleasure? Are they eating or drinking something good? Just pausing and consciously paying attention can lead to a moment of mindfulness.

How to Meditate

Conscious mindfulness may only last a few moments, after which the senior might unknowingly lapse back into their usual habits of not paying attention or functioning on autopilot. If this is the case, they can try meditation or yoga. There are many types of meditation. The simplest type just involves paying attention to the breath—inhaling and exhaling consciously or simply observing as the body inhales and exhales. There are also many meditations available online, on various apps. These can help the senior relax, which will automatically lead to mindfulness. Here are some of the apps they can use:

The Mindfulness App has meditations that are 3-30 minutes long.
The Headspace App is the most popular, with a 4.9 rating; it has a number of 10-minute meditations.
Calm is another app with multi-day courses in mindfulness and meditation.
10% Happier is an app that claims to make you 10% happier, with quick meditations.

Creating a Mindfulness Routine

Both meditation and yoga are different ways to relax the body and mind. This, in turn, makes seniors more mindful of what's going on in and around them. If they have trouble sleeping, there are many meditations that, when done before bed, will help them fall asleep. Many yoga practitioners prefer to practice yoga early in the morning, but it can be done at any time, depending on what's most comfortable for the senior. It might help, however, to set aside a certain time every day for meditation, yoga, or general mindfulness. This will help them get into the routine of being mindful.

How Can a Caregiver Help?

For seniors living in Sheboygan, Plymouth, Cedar Grove, Port Washington, Saukville, Kewaskum, Chilton, Kiel, New Holstein, or Mount Calvary, a caregiver from Senior Helpers Sheboygan can help with maintaining a mindfulness routine. They can help seniors practice gentle yoga without injuring themselves and remind them when it's time to meditate.