If you and your elderly loved one are looking for a way to manage stress and overall to experience calm during the storm that life can be, you can’t go wrong with meditation. Some people can get great results with guided meditations, but it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Try this technique with your elderly loved one.
Sit Comfortably
Plenty of instructional information or videos about meditation include ideas about sitting in a specific position. This honestly isn’t required as long as you and your loved one are able to sit in a comfortable position that allows you to meditate. If it’s comfortable, you and your loved one can even lie down.
Focus on Breathing Deeply
To start with, breathe deeply and focus on how that feels. One way you can do this is to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Pay attention to how your belly and your chest move as you breathe more deeply.
Concentrate Only on Your Breathing
While you and your loved one are focusing on your breathing, try to concentrate only on that. If you allow your thoughts to drift away, you’ll find yourself distracted. When your mind does wander, gently bring your focus back to your breathing.
Gradually Open Back up to Your Surroundings
After a few minutes, you can gradually start to open your attention back to your immediate surroundings. Are there sounds or smells that you’re noticing more readily? When it feels right, you can start to open your eyes and realign your focus away from your breathing and back to the room around you.
Don’t Worry about Keeping Your Mind Empty
A common misconception about meditation is that you should be able to keep your mind completely empty, otherwise you’re meditating wrong. The reality is that you’re human and your brain is used to constantly going. What you’re doing with meditation is giving your brain one thing to focus on and steering it away from focusing on everything else. You’ll start to have other thoughts, but that’s not bad news. Simply go back to your primary focus and relax.
Learning meditation can help you and your elderly loved one to manage stress more easily. It can also help your loved one to have better relationships with everyone from friends to elder care providers.
The staff at Home Care Matters is available to talk with you and your family about all of your needs. Home Care Matters is a home care agency providing quality and affordable elder care in Gainesville, GA and the surrounding areas. Call (678) 828-2195 for more information.
Valerie has the unique experience with home care as she has experienced it from both ends of the spectrum, as a caregiver and as needing care herself as a cancer survivor. Valerie says, “Taking care of someone you love is a physically, mentally and demanding labor of love.Taking care of my mom was the hardest thing I have ever done. It has given me an insight and perspective not many people understand unless you are doing it or have done it.I loved taking care of my mom.I love helping others take care of their love ones too.And now that I’ve been sick, it’s given me a whole new level of empathy and understanding for those who are sick and need help.”
Valerie’s schedule varies daily, but she loves visiting with our clients, families, caregivers, our network partners and being in the office.Says Valerie, “Every day is different, but I wake up excited about what we do, inspired by our team, clients and caregivers.I strive to be a resource to the community.I love my team and I love what we do every day. I like to think my mom would be proud.”
You can reach Valerie by email (Valerie@homecarematters.com) or in our office (770.965.4004).
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