While many found resilience and a sense of optimism during the pandemic, a sizable number of older adults experienced a serious level of stress- which may continue to linger – either from fear of infection, loss of income, social isolation, or even declining physical or mental health. In fact, in a recently released poll of older adults from the University of Michigan, those who said their physical or mental health was only fair or poor (as well as those with the lowest income) reported the highest levels of stress during the pandemic. And to further complicate this picture, a study out of the University of Nottingham reports that those who experienced increased stress at the start of the pandemic were at higher risk of becoming infected with Covid, along with a greater number and severity of Covid symptoms. It is unclear whether it was the stress itself that put individuals at higher risk or their pre-existing health conditions, but there is prior research showing that “psychological factors such as stress and social support are associated with increased susceptibility to viral respiratory illnesses and more severe symptoms.” In other words, stress itself appears to make you more susceptible to illness.

What is stress? While most of us can readily say whether or not we feel it, by definition, according to Medline, it’s considered “a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stress is your body’s reaction to a challenge or demand. In short bursts, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline. But when stress lasts for a long time, it may harm your health.” And the harm can be to your physical or mental health. If you feel stressed, you’re certainly not alone. A 2015 study showed that 59% of adults reported experiencing high levels of perceived stress– and that was before the pandemic, the domestic political turmoil of the last several years, and the current geopolitical tensions. How does stress manifest itself in your body? You may experience everything from sleep disruptions to insomnia to frequent illnesses to digestive or cardiac issues. In a recent New York Times post Jane Brody wrote that chronic psychological stress may be an extremely important factor for raising your risk of cardiovascular disease. For more on the connection between heart health and stress, take a deep breath and read here.

As an older adult, you may be even more susceptible to the health harms that can accompany stress. For example, new research out of Oregon State University and published in the Journals of Gerontology reports that those of us who have negative feelings about the aging experience have more negative health impacts from stress. Moreover, as an older adult, your brain may be less able to regulate the hormones released when you feel stress (cortisol and adrenaline), and an overload of those stress hormones is linked to such health problems as heart disease, high blood pressure, and a weakened immune system. It’s somewhat of a vicious cycle: The more stress you feel as an older adult, the more harm to your physical and emotional well-being, and then the more likely you experience or perceive further stress as a result of your poor health.

Is there a way to lower your stress level? There are valuable recommendations to consider that will calm your mind and keep you focused on the present- such as yoga, meditation, or mindfulness. There are also recommendations of foods to ingest or teas to drink that have calming and soothing effects. Because stress can arise from so many different sources, there are simple measures to consider such as limiting your exposure to stressful news or shutting down social media, along with physical exercise and better sleep if possible. And from the world’s Blue Zones of long-living and healthy centenarians, come common-sense practices and behaviors that may just allow you to relax and release the tensions you perceive. These include such basic human endeavors as getting outside in the sunshine, spending time with friends, diving into pleasurable activities like gardening, and finding a purpose in life that gives you a reason to live and go on. On a slightly lighter note? Schedule a daily happy hour with friends and don’t take life- or yourself- too seriously. And as Winnie-the-Pooh would advise, “Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.”