Your Mood Affects Your Health
September 21, 2017
Reviewed and Updated by Anastasia Iliou,
Your Mood Affects Your Health
Did you know that stress and depression can weaken your immune system? Your mental health affects you physically as well as emotionally. Thankfully, Medicare provides benefits that can serve as “mood boosters” to help keep you both physically and emotionally healthy. Learn how emotions affect the body and how you can stay healthy.
How Your Mood Affects You
Depression is all-too common among seniors, and it often comes from the stress of aging. The feeling of stress is triggered by the release of the hormone cortisol, which slows down motivation and metabolism. This means that stress can cause you to not only lose the motivation to eat healthily and exercise, but also lose the metabolism to break down fatty foods, ultimately leading to unhealthy weight gain. Aside from weight gain, the influx of cortisol can inflame the immune system, weakening it and making it easier for you to catch infections and get sick.
On the same side of the token, a positive mood will allow you to heal more quickly. If you take a positive attitude with your illness or injury, your immune system will stay stronger and you’ll have less cortisol holding you down.
How To Heal
What makes you happy? All the little small things that you enjoy can help you heal emotionally and physically, as the two are connected. Consider starting with your senses – do you have a scent that makes you happy? Light a candle or spray a fragrance. Do you have a sound that makes you happy? Play some music. When it comes to emotion and mental health, the senses are a great way to start.
If your home remedies aren’t helping, consider taking advantage of your Medicare plan.
Medicare Mood Boosters
Medicare’s SilverSneakers® program promotes healthy social and physical behaviors for seniors like you. The program revolves around group exercise programs hosted within gyms and YMCAs. The programs include activities like strength, flexibility, walking, and yoga classes. The group setting gives you an opportunity to socialize with other seniors in your area, and the activities will help strengthen your physical health. If SilverSneakers® is a benefit included in your Medicare plan, you should receive a list of participating facilities. Then, all you’ll need to do is bring your SilverSneakers® card with its 16-digit member number to the facility.
If you feel your mood slipping often or if you are experiencing symptoms of depression, it may be a good idea to consider joining a SilverSneakers® class.
If you aren’t sure whether your plan includes SilverSneakers®, or if you’re looking for another Medicare benefit that can help you, one of our agents can answer your questions. Call today at 1-844-431-1832.
