Florida’s Seniors

Give them a safe space to cry, if they need to. Bottling up your feelings can lead to chronic stress and stress-related health problems. Support your friend or loved one by letting them know that they can feel comfortable in your presence.

Buy them a session of acupuncture. When acupuncture is applied to specific trigger points on the body, endorphins are released in the area, releasing tension, pain and stress.

Take them to happy hour. For some of the smaller things in a life, a nice cold beer or soothing glass of wine is all it takes to change the mood. Just keep it to a one drink minimum, or the effects of alcohol can become a downer and decrease their mood even more.

Turn the bathroom into a lavender-scented spa. A warm bath with food-grade Epsom salts and a lavender candle has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety and depression by as much as 25%.

Fake a laugh. Seriously! Just the idea of it seems silly, but many PTSD programs and therapists recommend daily laughing as ‘homework’ to feel better. We bet as soon as you ask your loved one to fake laugh, they’ll end up laughing for real!

Surprise them with tickets to a comedy show. Laughing is one of nature’s greatest defenses and pain-coping mechanisms. Look for local venues and open mic nights for an affordable pick me up.

Go out for Taco Tuesday. Spicy foods contain capsaicin, which activates pain sensory in your brain and triggers it to produce more endorphins.

Literally let them punch it out. Sometimes the best way to release negative emotions is to just hit something. Buy them a pass to a kickboxing class for a healthy way to use physical aggression.

Have them take 10 deep breaths. Help someone collect their thoughts, release toxins and get centered by breathing with them in five-second intervals for ten rounds.

Throw a plate-smashing party. Go to the thrift store and pick up a bunch of inexpensive plates, bowls and dishes, put down a tarp, wear some protective clothing and encourage them to throw the plates as hard as they can!