The winter months consist of colder temperatures, varying weather conditions, and the potential for ice. Winter conditions, changing schedules, and holidays can impact the ability for socialization and leaving the home, leading to a potential for isolation. Social isolation and loneliness have the potential to lead to negative health impacts, such as anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline. It is important to maintain positivity and cognitive alertness. How can older adults work to prevent the impacts of social isolation and loneliness?
Stay connected. Staying connected with friends and families’ helps maintain socialization. Socialization helps enhance mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Connecting with others works to combat feelings of loneliness, which can impact your physical health and mental health. Maintaining connections can happen in a variety of ways; face-to-face meetings, phone calls, text messages all act as ways to connect. During the winter months, weather conditions can make face-to-face meetings difficult. It is important to optimize your current abilities and create a set routine. Creating a routine of contacting others can provide a set structure and something to look forward to.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Leading a healthy lifestyle is a way to feel like your best self and stay your best self. Eating a healthy and balanced diet can assist in our brain and memory functioning, keeping us alert as we age. Exercise can assist us in maintaining mobility and movement while offering older adults a way to stay active and engaged. Exercising at home, however able, can help build a routine to the day. If mobility is a safety concern, chair exercises are still a way to maintain movement. Other practices, such as mindfulness, can help us maintain positive thoughts. Maintaining positive thoughts can act as a healthy coping mechanism to challenges we face in life, promoting our cognitive flexibility. An easy practice to start is gratitude journaling or finding one positive thing to think about during our day. Maintaining positive attitudes can also assist in maintaining a positive mood!
Take up and practice hobbies. Hobbies are an easy and fun way to work on staying alert. It can be beneficial to take up new hobbies and try new things as this learning helps to expand cognition and maintain cognitive flexibility. Hobbies such as cooking, baking, knitting, and crocheting are fun ways to stay alert while staying at home during the winter months. Other winter hobbies that may be more budget friendly consist of journaling, writing various forms of literature, and reading.
Volunteer. Volunteering offers an activity that allows connection with others while having a meaningful goal or purpose. There are a lot of ways to volunteer in your community. Volunteering at a long-term care facility can provide companionship to others and provide a sense of connection to the community. Volunteering at church can provide a sense of spiritual accomplishment and fulfillment. If volunteering as a solo endeavor seems overwhelming, volunteering with a group of friends may be another avenue to explore.
