Overcoming a fear of falling
Falls
It's common to feel anxious after having a fall. But if you keep feeling afraid of falling, this can affect your confidence and stop you enjoying life.
If you are worried about falling, you might stop doing your everyday activities. You might stay indoors and even walk around less.
By restricting your lifestyle in this way, you can lose general body strength, balance and stamina. This makes you less stable when walking and more likely to have another fall.
There are things that you can do to help your anxiety and fear of falling.
Keeping active and building confidence
It's important to keep active to prevent more falls. This does not have to mean doing heavy exercise. It can help to:
- do activities indoors every day
- do a hobby that you enjoy regularly
- get involved with your local community
Get outdoors if you can, but otherwise keep as active as possible indoors. You can use a support, such as a walking aid, to help with this.
To build your confidence again:
- set yourself small achievable goals
- keep doing your favourite hobby or try a new one that might be easier to manage
- get involved with clubs and groups in your local community
You can find activities in your local area on the Age UK website.
Do
- think about all the times when you have not fallen over and focus on these
- think about the progress that you have made already
- congratulate yourself on how much you have achieved
- keep your sense of humour
- enjoy living in the present and plan for the future
Looking after yourself
Make sure that you put your needs first. Try to:
- get a good night’s sleep
- pace yourself by only doing what you can manage in the time that you have available
- learn to say ‘no’ when you need to
- make time for yourself every day
It's also important to look after your body by eating a healthy, balanced diet and drinking enough fluids.
Relaxation exercises
Relaxation exercises help to reduce muscle tension and control your breathing. They can also help you to concentrate. Relaxation exercises can include:
- deep breathing exercises
- guided relaxation and mindfulness (mindfulness is when you pay attention to the present moment, including your thoughts and feelings and the world around you)
- visualisation exercises, where you imagine a pleasant and relaxing place or scene
You can also relax by doing things that you enjoy. For example, you can:
- listen to music that you find relaxing
- read a book
- go for a gentle walk
- try some gentle body stretches
- meet others
- do your hobbies
Getting support from others
It's helpful to talk to family members or friends about your worries. They can listen to how you feel and support you.
If anxiety affects your everyday life or makes you distressed, it is important to get help from a GP.
