How Can Our Senior Loved Ones Fend off Winter Blues This Winter? - Comfort Keepers San Mateo

We are having quite a winter this year and it is going to persist some days more. Apart from all the discomfort it may cause to our free movement the most bothering problem that it causes is the unique sort of depression called as winter blues or more academically Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Our senior loved ones may even become more prone to this condition due to their lack of free movement and activity. Therefore, we as the people around them have to be careful and take necessary measures to keep our senior loved ones as far from SAD as possible.

Here, Comfort Keepers have compiled a list of amazing things that you can do with your senior loved ones to help them fend off winter blues.

Get as Much Sunlight as Possible

Although going outdoors most of the time is not being possible, keep the curtains and blinds open as much as possible to have access to as much sunlight as possible. Or even better whenever you get the chance have a stroll outside; even once a day would do a great job.

Have Regular Physical Exercise

One of the top commandments for getting rid of winter blues is to be active and involved. In this regard doing regular physical exercise is of primary importance. Just do simple exercises and activities and play with some light weights. This is quite enough to lift up your loved ones’ spirit.

Have Other Group Activities

Try to be creative and think of some activities like indoor games or computer games or some sort of artistically creative ventures like story telling or painting together. Such activities, if once started, is sure to make you feel good.

Practice Healthy Eating and Living

Another very important thing that we have to keep in mind that winter is also the season of cold and flu. So, our efforts to live healthy has to be strengthened during this season of the year. Apart from practicing cleanliness you also have to have a healthy diet. Ideally, our diet should contain fruit and vegetable rich well-balanced meal throughout the day along with items containing omega 3 fatty acid. 

Listen to Upbeat Music

Music can drastically affect our mood. So, listening to upbeat music when you feel dull or down will give the necessary boost to move on to further interesting activities.

Socialize

Even if you can’t get out most of the times to your friends and families in the neighborhood. You can always get engaged with them on the social media. So, encourage our senior loved ones to take up the habit of chatting and interacting through social media this season. Social activities have been repeatedly proven to create positive impacts in senior years.

Treatment Options

At some point, this condition can become a bit severe and may require serious medical attention to be treated. So, if you think that none of these activities is enough to lift up your senior loved one’s spirit then consider having other treatment options. There are many types of treatment options for SAD. Light Box and Dawn Simulator for light therapy are very helpful. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is another option. And even after that, there is specific medication to deal with SAD.

So, no more fears from the winter blues! Follow these simple tips with your senior loved ones and contact ComfortKeepers for any kind of help and support regarding senior care and well-being.