How to Help Seniors Practice Self-Compassion
Something we often see in the senior care industry is that older adults have a tendency to be hard on themselves, especially when it comes to facing challenges common in aging. For many, this means pushing through struggles without asking for help or setting aside negative feelings in an effort to persevere.
Because of this tendency, it’s important that those active in a senior’s life, like their family and caregivers, help them practice self-compassion. Harvard Business Review defines self-compassion as being three-fold: being kind to ourselves, mindfully accepting our real feelings, and understanding that it’s a normal part of human behavior to have challenges, in particular as we age.
If you are a family member, friend, or caregiver for a senior, and you see them being hard on themselves, consider the guide below to encourage them to practice self-compassion. It can make a world of positive change in their life.
Introduce Seniors to Self-Compassion
There is a common belief that tending to our own feelings is selfish. However, self-compassion is quite the opposite, and not about feeling sorry for yourself or playing the victim to others. Rather, it is the ability to give yourself the grace to face challenges, make mistakes, and forgive yourself for them. To put it plainly, self-compassion is about treating yourself the way you would treat your friend or loved one when they’re struggling.
Take time to share your own struggles with self-compassion with your senior loved one. Helping them see the benefits it brings to someone they care about can give them perspective. The goal of this conversation is to help them understand the concept of self-compassion. There is no room for criticism or judgment when practicing self-compassion. Instead, it’s about practicing kindness, compassion, and respect for one’s self.
How Seniors Can Practice Self-Compassion
Self-compassion isn’t a practice your senior loved one can pick up overnight. It will take time and much more practice to create it into a natural reflex. You can help them incorporate positive actions into their daily life that will encourage them to continue redirecting to a compassionate mindset versus a criticizing mindset.
Seniors can begin to practice self-compassion using the following methods. Encourage these behaviors to help them realize that compassion for themselves and their actions can result in better mental health and resiliency.
Write Encouraging Phrases on Sticky Notes
Brainstorm with seniors to find phrases or words to help encourage them. Write these on a sticky note and place them around the house where seniors will see them. For example, you can put them on the bathroom mirror, nightstand, or refrigerator. As seniors encounter these sticky notes throughout their day, they can read the message and feel uplifted and encouraged.
Take a Moment for Mindfulness
Being mindful of our true feelings, and understanding that they don’t define who we are, is vital to self-compassion. Help your senior loved one work through difficult moments when you see them struggling mentally with the challenge before them. Teach them to take time out of that moment to stop and connect with their body. What are they feeling at that moment? Ask them what they need to feel better, or what words they can say to themselves to overcome the challenge they’re facing.
Practice Meditating
Self-compassion stems from a strong connection between mind and body. Meditating can help establish and maintain that bond by sitting and listening to what your mind and body are thinking and feeling. Seniors don’t have to meditate for hours; instead, they can start with a few minutes a day or a week to ease into the practice.
Next time you visit your senior loved one or client, consider introducing them to some guided meditation practices, either online or in person. You can find a variety of guided meditation videos online. Or, find a local therapist or counselor in the Pikesville area who can assist.
Related Reading: The Benefits of Meditation for Seniors
Journal
If the senior you’re assisting isn’t receptive to meditation or mindfulness, journaling is another avenue to explore. Journaling is an excellent way to identify our experiences and work through them via words. Help them find a journal they feel connected to, and encourage writing in it as a daily habit, perhaps just before their bedtime routine.
Compassionate Care From Visiting Angels Caregivers
Seniors who struggle to express self-compassion can often find that compassion in others, including Visiting Angels of Pikesville/Owings Mills caregivers. Our care staff works to support seniors in everyday challenges, including mental struggles and thoughts of self-doubt or critique. Here are a few of our recent blog posts on similar topics:
- 8 Ways to Tackle Seasonal Depression this Winter
- Self-Care Awareness Month
- Support Senior Mental Health With Mindfulness Practices
Let us extend the grace and compassion we all need as humans. Learn more about how Visiting Angels of Pikesville/Owings Mills can help you or your aging loved one; contact us to schedule a consultation.