Information for Older Adults and Care Partners

Getting older brings about a lot of changes, some that are positive and some that are stressful.   In small amounts, stress and anxiety can help you to stay alert to risks and motivate you to take action. However, longer lasting anxiety can be a warning signal about your stress level.

Anxiety symptoms, such as worry, nervousness, or panicky feelings, which last for weeks or months at a time, and which get in the way of living your life, are not a normal part of getting older. It is important to know when and who to ask for help.

Everyone experiences symptoms of anxiety, but they are generally occasional and short-lived, and do not cause problems. But when the cognitive, physical and behavioural symptoms of anxiety are persistent and severe, and anxiety causes distress in a person’s life to the point that it negatively affects his or her ability to work or study, socialize and manage daily tasks, it may be beyond the normal range.

How to beat anxiety: 8 simple, concrete strategies to take control of your mind

Whether in the short- or long-term, there are lots of different techniques that can help you deal with anxiety.

Anxiety can be, at times, truly debilitating, making it hard to go about your day. However, feelings of unease, worry and fear – whether mild or more severe – can be dealt with. In the moment of an anxiety attack or any feelings of uneasiness, there are ways to step back and bring yourself back to a more comfortable feeling.

Equally, for those who deal with anxiety on a constant basis, there are longer-term ways to address anxiety. Here are eight, science-backed methods, to lessen feelings of anxiety, both in the long- and short-term.