Aging Expert Provides Seven Ways to Increase Happiness
NORTHBROOK, Ill., November 12, 2014 - Recently, Covenant Village of Northbrook, a faith-based, not-for-profit continuing care retirement community, hosted Dr. Linda Hollinger-Smith, vice president of Mather LifeWays Institute of Aging, who presented on 'What is Resilience? Flourishing Despite Adversity'. During the event, area seniors were educated on the correlation between positive thinking, happiness and aging gracefully.
"At Covenant Village of Northbrook, we strive to inform our residents and the greater Northbrook community on new and emerging health and wellness trends and topics," states Julie Anderson, wellness coordinator at Covenant Village of Northbrook. "Currently, many researchers and doctors are exploring the health benefits of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which is related to "resilient thinking" and maintaining an altruistic outlook on life. We were grateful to have Dr. Hollinger-Smith on campus explaining the nuances of this new health outlook to the greater Northbrook area seniors."
To achieve this paradigm shift, Hollinger-Smith provided attendees with seven ways to incorporate "resilient thinking" and successfully overcome challenges in life, including:
• Affirming values
• Acts of kindness
• Writing a gratitude letter
• Identifying 3 good things that happen every day
• Noticing the positive
• Meditation
• Reflective writing, including spiritual reflection
She defines the idea of "resilient thinking" in two parts - recovery and sustainability. Recovery meaning the act of trying to return to a normal routine after a stressful event, and sustainability meaning the act of being optimistic and functioning under stress.
By implementing these strategies in a comprehensive health and wellness program, it can improve mental and physical health such as increased life span, greater job satisfaction and work performance, and higher quality relationships. In relation to older adults, "hardiness" or the ability to deal with health problems has helped increase interaction in social environments especially those dealing with diabetes, hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis.
"Other people, the weather, car trouble, money - these external factors only determine a small amount of our happiness. These positive and negative events have an effect, but it's not as big as you may think. What matters more is how we respond to these events," said Hollinger-Smith.
She also emphasized that 'proactive coping' - a stress preventing method that reduces the impact of stressors before they occur - is essential in maintaining a resilient and happy lifestyle.
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Hollinger-Smith also identified the determinants of resilience in older adults, which includes:
• A positive "sense of self"
• Having a meaning and purpose in life
• A sense of self-determination
• Optimism
• Spirituality
• A sense of realism
• Social support
She reminded attendees, "it is always important to be self-compassionate and remember not to be overly critical or hard on yourself. Noticing the positive in life and expressing happiness is contagious!"
Covenant Village of Northbrook will be continuing its exploration in stress management and relaxation training with licensed clinical psychologist Christina Alexakos on November 13, 2014. For more information about this event or Covenant Village of Northbrook, please call 877-816-5668.
About Covenant Village of Northbrook
Covenant Village of Northbrook, a faith-based, not-for-profit continuing care retirement community, is located at 2625 Techny Road, Northbrook, Ill. It is administered by Covenant Retirement Communities, one of the nation's largest not-for-profit senior services providers. Covenant Retirement Communities serves 5,000 residents at 15 retirement communities nationwide and is a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church. For more important on Covenant Village of Northbrook, please visit www.covenantnorthbrook.org or call 877-816-5568.