Benefits of Mindfulness in Elderly - Part 2:

The gift of acceptance

Young and the active people detest getting old. As they gradually advance in years they try their best to cover up by colouring their hair, doing face lifts and various other cosmetic procedures. However, age catches on with all of us, though the advancing years can be a cause of irritation to most.

We may have come across the stereotypical grumpy old men or women. They get angry easily and yell at people or kids, complain regularly about the faulty products, poor weather, the government or the world in general. Being grumpy means being irritable.

There are various reasons for this state of affairs among some of the elderly. The seniors after 60 years become more aware of their own mortality as they see their friends and loved ones pass away. They experience increasing pains in their joints, failing eye sight and hearing, gradually disappearing good looks of youth and the 'empty nest' of a home devoid of children who have grown up and gone away. Having to accept that they have reached the pinnacle of their career and are without any job in their retirement, also compound the situation.

These losses can remain painful for as long as they refuse to accept themselves and their lives as they are.

However, according to an article published in Psychology Today, things can start to dramatically change as soon as the Elderly start to let go of unrealistic attachments and aspirations and learn to live in the moment. The article further mentions about actual increase of happiness among those who are over 50, in a survey conducted in the UK. Such results are contrary to the popular belief and could result due to change in aspirations as mentioned earlier.

The ability to 'Live' in the moment is a natural outcome of Mindfulness. The elders who practice Mindfulness regularly are endowed with the gift of acceptance and thereby contentment and happiness. They are not easily irritable.

Mindfulness of walking improves mood of the elderly

Mindfulness of Walking is an important core practice in programs of Mindfulness. It is important as it helps the practitioners to gradually develop Mindfulness in day-to-day activities from moment to moment.

A study conducted in Thailand compared 'Mindfulness of Walking' against walking done as an exercise among the elderly population. The seniors were between 60-90 years and the program continued for 12 weeks.

The investigators found that those who practised Mindfulness of Walking had significantly better outcomes than those who merely practiced walking as a physical exercise. Mindfulness of Walking was significantly better in reducing the depression and improving the mood of the seniors. It also provided better physical health outcomes by reducing LDL Cholesterol and improving functional fitness and vascular reactivity.

The investigators concluded that 'Mindfulness of Walking' appeared to provide greater overall improvements for the seniors than walking done only as a physical exercise.

Elders get relief from depression due to Mindfulness

Depression refers to low mood and loss of interest and pleasure in most activities and is usually accompanied by various emotional, cognitive, physical and behavioural symptoms.

Recently, five groups of elders with depression and/or anxiety were investigated for the effectiveness of 8-week Mindfulness programs for relieving the symptoms. The investigators found significant improvements in reported anxiety, ruminative thoughts, and sleep problems and a reduction in depressive symptoms. Findings showed that Mindfulness is acceptable to elders and is associated with positive changes.

In another research article published in 2010, investigators evaluated the impact of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on mood states of elders. Overall emotional distress and mood improved significantly among the 141 seniors (all were above 60 years), who completed the 8-week MBSR training. The program resulted in more than 50% reduction in the number of the seniors reporting clinically significant depression and anxiety.

The researchers concluded that Mindfulness training is a promising intervention for decreasing psychological distress among the elderly.

All such improvements in mood and happiness also provide an added benefit to the elderly. Their healthcare costs start to reduce! This is important as old age is also a period of relatively low income for most elders in Sri Lanka. A study in Journal of Social Behaviour and Personality found that seniors who practiced meditation had significantly fewer hospitalizations.

In that study, the meditation group's five-year cumulative reduction in healthcare costs was 70% less than the non-meditating group!

(Aruna Manathunge who has practised Mindfulness for over 43 years, conducts Mindfulness training in schools, hospitals and companies. Aruna can be contacted at [email protected])