How to Combat Loneliness During the Holiday Season
The holiday season is here, and everyone looks forward to enjoying happy moments with family and friends. For many people, it is a time for merry, attending parties, hosting events, baking, cooking, and dining with family and friends. But this can also be when others feel lonely especially senior loved ones. There are multiple reasons seniors would feel lonely even while those around them are enjoying events. They may feel lonely and limited from participating in certain events due to mobility problems, physical limitations, vision challenges, and many other reasons. Fortunately, seniors can be mindful of their emotions and begin to feel better to combat loneliness during the holiday season.
Ways Seniors Can Combat Loneliness during the Holiday Season
Seniors can apply multiple strategies to avoid loneliness and feel loved and appreciated during the holiday season. Here are tips to lighten up the moments.
Accepting the Situation at Hand
When seniors feel lonely, sad, angry, or anxious, they need to understand that such feelings may affect anyone. The first step to getting better is by accepting how they are feeling. They shouldn't try to ignore these feelings, no matter how uncomfortable they may be. The feelings are real and shouldn't be trashed. If a senior loved one accepts that what they feel is normal, they can seek help from those around them and feel better with time.
Communicating Feelings to Others
It is important that seniors share their struggles of loneliness with those around them who care to listen to them and can offer solutions. Seniors can communicate how they feel via any platform, no matter where they are. This can be an instant reliever to their loneliness and help them cheer up once the other party encourages, reminds, and assures the senior loved one that they are lovable and appreciated.
Engaging in Local Events
During the holiday season, many people have a lot of time with family and friends. Seniors can leverage this opportunity to make new friends, especially when attending local events or hosting people in their homes. During these events, individuals of all ages from different cultures, faith, and locations meet, interact, and share a lot. Seniors can build new relationships and share how they are feeling, which can help reduce anxiety and apprehension.
Explore Hobbies and Other Areas of Interest
Many seniors have hobbies and interests they want to explore during the holiday season. They hardly feel lonely when they participate in what they like and love doing. If a senior doesn't have any hobbies, they can think about what makes them happy. They can also socialize and see what others are doing to enjoy the holiday season. Seniors can play solitary and interactive games and join book clubs, knitting, and sewing circles to learn new hobbies and skills.
Identify Opportunities to Combat Loneliness during the Holiday Season
Loneliness can strike at any time, even when seniors are actively participating in holiday events. It is essential to determine the most suitable options that senior loved ones can take advantage of at any time of the day to combat loneliness. If you've applied various steps and still find your senior loved one lonely, withdrawn, and in low spirits, you can enroll them for in-home care, where they can experience a wide range of services that can help them stay a healthy and comfortable life. Senior Helpers Burnsville offers a wide range of services for seniors in Burnsville, Saint Paul. Cottage Grove, Hastings, MN, can help your senior loved one stay active and healthy. Contact us to speak to our professionals.