Understanding & Managing Anxiety as an Older Adult

As we get older, our bodies and minds naturally go through changes. Signs like increased aches, stiffness, or reduced flexibility—are expected. But other changes can be surprising and unfamiliar. One of these is a rise in anxiety.

You might find yourself feeling more nervous, worried, or overwhelmed than before. It is harder to fall asleep, with racing thoughts keeping you up at night. If this sounds familiar, know that you are not alone. Anxiety is common among older adults, and there is no shame in experiencing it.

Recognizing that you are dealing with anxiety is a sign of strength—and it is the first step toward feeling better. In this article, we will explore what anxiety is, why it may be showing up now, and practical ways to manage it.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a normal part of the human experience. Everyone experiences it at various times or another. Sometimes, experiencing anxiety can be a good thing. This may sound surprising, but without having some anxiety, you would not be as motivated to find solutions to lingering issues or prepare yourself for potential inconvenient situations. Anxiety can help you act by activating your fight-or-flight response, which helps to sharpen your focus and awareness. It can also lead you to be vigilant about your health and safety as well as the safety of those around you. However, when anxiety starts to run on overdrive, it can turn into a more chronic or disordered state.

An anxiety disorder is the excessive experience of worry, overwhelm, and apprehension. This is where anxiety no longer serves you but instead works against you by consuming your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. When you no longer feel like you are in control of your emotions, it can be a scary experience. You may notice your heart racing, face flushing, palms sweating, and an unpleasant sinking feeling in your stomach. You may find yourself struggling with doubt and indecisiveness, and things that were once easy to do have now become burdensome. Maybe going out and socializing with others now creates a feeling of dread for you. Or you are suddenly struggling with one too many headaches and unexplainable fatigue. The question you may be asking yourself is: why? And why now, after having lived decades without this ongoing struggle? Disordered anxiety may be a new and scary experience for you, but with the right tools, you can take back control and regain your self-efficacy. First, let us talk about why you might be experiencing disordered anxiety at this stage in your life.

An Accumulation of Hardships Over the Years

The more we live, the more we experience. Undoubtedly, life experiences can be difficult and be disheartening. You may have had your fair share of stresses, worries, difficulties, grief, and losses throughout your life. You have managed to power through it all and, in so doing, have proven to yourself that you possess strength and resilience. At the same time, your body and mind keep score of everything you have gone through. The aftermath of accumulated incidents over the years catches up, and one such way this can manifest is through heightened anxiety. You might be thinking, does having this anxiety mean you are no longer strong and resilient? Of course not, because like any other condition, disordered anxiety is a condition that can be treated. Experiencing anxiety is a struggle like any other struggle you have experienced throughout the decades of your life. And if you can look back on the reasons why you have developed all these strengths and resilience, it is because you have had to deal with all these struggles. Dealing with anxiety is another opportunity for your strength and resilience to shine through.

Significant Life Changes

Getting older involves various life changes and sometimes these changes can be big and overwhelming. Becoming accustomed to matters such as retirement, moving to a new place of residence, financial changes, or new physical ailments can cause feelings of uncertainty and stress, which in turn can lead to anxiety. For instance, retirement can elicit feelings of uncertainty around identity and purpose. While having more free time sounds appealing to many, it can also lead to feelings of boredom or loss. Moving in with family members or to a retirement home is another significant life change that requires lifestyle adjustments. You have now found yourself needing to become a caregiver to your significant other, or maybe your own physical ailments are negatively impacting your quality of life. Whatever major changes you may be facing, know that it is normal and common for these circumstances to elicit anxiety.

Arising Health Concerns

Aging can introduce new health concerns that you may have not had to worry about in the past. The risk of chronic conditions like arthritis, cognitive decline, diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease becomes higher as we get older. For example, aging brains produce fewer neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, all of which have a significant impact on your mood, emotion regulation, cognition, and motivation levels. Consequently, this can lead to increases in anxiety. Finding yourself struggling with a chronic ailment can undoubtedly take its toll not just on your physical health but also your mental and emotional wellbeing. Without having healthy coping strategies, dealing with chronic or degenerative conditions that you do not have full control over can intensify anxiety. In turn, anxiety exacerbates your experience of feeling out of control, leaving you caught in an unpleasant cycle.

Side Effects from Medications

As we age, it is common to take medications to help manage health issues like high blood pressure, thyroid conditions, or chronic pain. While these medications can be highly effective, it is important to be aware that they can sometimes cause side effects—one of which may be anxiety. For example, medications often prescribed for conditions like:

• High blood pressure
• Thyroid disorders
• Depression
• Inflammation or immune system issues (like corticosteroids)

can sometimes lead to feelings of nervousness, restlessness, or anxiety. If you have noticed an increase in anxiety, nervousness, or restlessness since starting a new medication, it is particularly important to talk to your doctor or pharmacist. They can review your medications and help figure out whether one of them might be the cause. In frequent cases, adjustments can be made to reduce these side effects and help you feel better.

How not to Cope with your Anxiety

We have explored reasons for why you may be struggling with anxiety, let us focus on how to deal with it. An important thing to remember is that anxiety is better managed than it is controlled. While you might hope that your anxiety struggles disappear altogether, it is more realistic to learn to cope effectively with your anxiety. By learning to manage your anxiety, you lessen its control over you. On the other hand, trying to suppress or avoid your anxiety will only worsen your experience with it. For instance, you may find temporary relief by avoiding situations that trigger your anxiety. However, avoidance behaviours exacerbate anxiety symptoms over time since they only serve to restrict you and reinforce anxious responses in your brain. Similarly, suppressing or resisting your anxiety can lead to an opposite effect where you may experience a panic attack instead. This is because it takes considerable mental energy to deny the existence of something with which you are struggling. In turn, mental exhaustion leads to emotional distress, which can leave you in a state of panic. Instead, below are a variety of proven strategies to help you manage your anxiety in healthier ways.

Stay Active

Maintaining physical activity in old age is crucial in helping you improve your mobility, strength, and stamina. Older adults who are physically healthier also tend to be mentally and cognitively healthier. Your body and mind are connected and impacted by one another. Regular physical activity has been proven to increase neurotransmitter activity in the brain. Higher levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine promote positive wellbeing. When you feel healthier, your overall life satisfaction improves which can help alleviate your anxiety symptoms.

Stay Social

Keeping yourself connected to a dedicated support network, whether it is through friends, family, or other community members, is another key component to improved wellbeing. Research has shown that socially active older adults tend to have a higher quality of life and lower levels of loneliness and anxiety. There are ways you can stay connected within your community. You can join book clubs, attend classes or workshops, or volunteer for a cause you care about. Continuing to be socially involved or making a difference can help give you a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Even if you are an introvert who prefers to spend your time alone, remember that everyone benefits from meaningful social activities and interactions – even introverts! So, next time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or apprehensive, try giving your loved one a call.

Stay Breathing…Deeply!

Learning to slow down your breathing is quick and simple, yet a highly effective strategy for inducing relaxation. Deep breathing sends calming messages to your brain by activating the brain’s relaxation response. It might sound too good to be true, but it works! Deep breathing comes in handy during moments of heightened anxiety and panic. Learning how to bring your heart rate back down is key to helping you work through your panic and restoring your heightened physiological responses back to equilibrium. Try the following “boxed breathing” technique:

Step 1: Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.

Step 2: Hold your breath for 4 seconds.

Step 3: Exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds.

Step 4: Hold your breath for 4 seconds.

Repeat these steps until you feel calmer.

Stay Sharp

Staying mentally and cognitively active in older age helps promote mood improvement, stress reduction, and increased self-esteem, all of which are beneficial for anxiety management. Engaging in activities that keep you mentally stimulated and increase your sense of accomplishment will help you feel more confident in yourself. There is a strong correlation between increased confidence and reduced anxiety because higher levels of confidence help to buffer against the negative impacts of anxiety. Puzzles, brain games, reading, writing, dancing, and learning new skills are all ways that you can keep yourself mentally and cognitively sharp.

Stay Mindful

Mindfulness is more than a buzz term. Being mindful is about slowing down, staying connected to what you are doing, and being present. Mindfulness teaches us to be compassionate towards ourselves through whatever it is that we are experiencing, including anxiety. When you practice giving yourself love and kindness during your anxious state, it helps to reduce the power that anxiety has over you. On the other hand, getting defeated or frustrated with yourself when you are struggling with anxiety will only worsen matters. Next time you are feeling anxiety or panic, try pausing and reflecting on why you are feeling that way. Be patient and curious with your emotional experience. You may find it helpful to follow a guided meditation to help you achieve this. Mindfulness-based activities such as meditation or yoga require practice and repetition. The more you engage in activities that encourage you to slow down and self-reflect in a non-judgmental way, the more benefits you will experience.

Stay Therapized

Seeking help from a therapist can be a powerful way to not only learn more about anxiety-management, but also to better understand and connect with yourself. Therapy is intended to provide you with a safe space to freely express yourself. With the help of a therapist, you can learn how to talk about your feelings in more depth. A therapist can also guide you towards a deeper awareness and understanding of your anxiety by asking you thought-provoking questions. Through collaborations with your therapist, you can create a treatment plan that is specifically tailored towards your struggles and needs. Additionally, seeking therapy is an added reminder that you never have to be alone in your struggles, and that help is available to you.