Helping women find harmony in midlife health
By Penelope Morrison Bosarge, RNC, CRNP, MSN
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
Teaching Faculty, Graduate Programs
University of Alabama School of Nursing
Birmingham
Eighty million baby boomers will become the senior generation in the 21st century. The goal of baby boom women everywhere will be to reach old age while maintaining health in three areas of life: mind, body, and spirit. How we can motivate our midyears patients to achieve balance among these three important areas? Is this balance visualized as a pie, equally divided into three parts? Any attempt to place such an artificial restriction on real life, in which a woman is expected to neatly divide her energies toward each segment, can lead only to failure.
Webster’s defines balance as a condition in which opposing forces are equal to each other, while harmony is characterized as a pleasing or suitable arrangement of parts. Harmony may be a more realistic goal for the midyears woman as she moves through the changes in her life. Here are some suggestions on how to help patients achieve goals in these key areas:
• Choose wisely for optimum health.
There have been many advances in medicine, but there are no magic potions or quick remedies. There are only guidelines that require hard work and perseverance. We must empower patients to exercise control and make wise choices. If women feel well and are well, they are more likely to eat well, exercise more, and expand their minds. Counsel your patients to eat a well-balanced diet, exercise regularly, obtain adequate rest, and have annual health screenings. Use educational handouts to help them understand the physical changes they may encounter as they age.
• Give the brain a workout.
Research indicates the capacity for intelligence remains stable throughout a person’s life. If your patient exercises mentally on a regular basis, this benefit will continue and remain undeterred.
What are some ways to help patients achieve a brain "workout"? They can enroll in continuing education classes, read books, or keep journals. Working crossword puzzles and word games is stimulating, and embroidery and needlework are good for spatial orientation.
Stress can have a profound effect on our thinking, behavior, feelings, and subsequently our health. Chronic stress can trigger hypertension and many other health problems. Help patients reduce stress levels by using meditation, relaxation exercises, music/imagery, or therapeutic touch/massage. Enrolling in support groups can encourage interaction with others in similar circumstances.
• Find emotional strength in spirit.
As women age, many find the spiritual part of their lives assuming a different role. Some are eager for knowledge in philosophy, science, religion, and literature, which may be used as they search for understanding. Others may even change their beliefs and practices. Spiritual wellness provides a platform for helping women to find calm and emotional strength. Patients can seek such strength through talking with close friends or relatives, visiting a new place of worship, or attending a retreat.
Spiritual means more than religious. Webster defines spirit as a force within a human being, thought to give the body life, energy, and power. It is the essence of each of us, that inner peace which brings us happiness and enthusiasm.
• Create a scenario for success.
Health promotion should be a partnership sealed with a contract between the patient and clinician. The clinician provides instruction and information in a non-threatening way. The patient then successfully modifies behaviors and lives a healthy lifestyle.
An annual examination is an important part of the health promotion/disease prevention program. This assessment need not involve unnecessary, costly testing. Screen patients for the leading causes of disease and illness within the midlife age group, unless their medical history indicates otherwise.
Once the decision is made to change to a healthier lifestyle, help the patient to do so, one step at a time. This change can be painful, so help create a scenario for success by advancing toward goals through small incremental steps. Try these suggestions:
Set and maintain reasonable goals.
Begin new challenges when the patient is feeling strong and the least stressed.
Solicit a friend for an encouraging support partner.
Use a contract, accompanied by a log or journal of progress.
Watch for the temptation to procrastinate.
As we age, the challenge is to remain mentally healthy while struggling to stay physically well and have a good time while we do it. Remaining vigorous and mentally acute into later years requires that women be active in all three areas. The adage "if you don’t use it, you lose it" applies here.
Selected reading
Doruss PB, Siegal DL. Midlife and Older Woman Book Project. Ourselves Growing Older, Women Aging With Power and Knowledge. New York: Simon and Schuster; 1987.
Johnson CA, ed. Women’s Health Care Handbook. Philadelphia: Hanley and Belfus; 1996.
Martz SH, ed. If I Had My Life to Live Over, I Would Pick More Daisies. Watsonville, CA: Paper-Mache Press; 1992.
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content