Anyone over the age of 40 can tell you that getting older isn’t easy. You wake up one day, look in the mirror, and you can barely recognize the person staring back at you. You’re a lot slower than you used to be, trips to the doctors are more frequent, and there always seems to be some new area of your body that just won’t operate the same. Your mind and body take you through a whirlwind of changes.
You may not be able to stop time, but you can look and feel young longer if you take control now. Below, are some tips on how to defy the signs of aging and look your best.
Cut Out Bad Habits
If you haven’t done so by now, it’s time to quit all bad habits. Smoking and drinking are at the top of the list and they can both have a grave impact on how quickly the mind and body ages. What’s wrong with drinking from time to time? While an occasional drink won’t do much to harm you, too much alcohol, however, will age you fast. For starters, drinking alcohol ages your organs causing them to work less effectively. It also can age the skin by causing wrinkles and saggy skin. As for smoking, most are aware of how it can damage the skin, the heart, lungs, and other vital organs.
Though it may hard to say goodbye to old habits, if it’s going to put years back on your life, it’s worth it. You can try to go cold turkey or use resources like patches, chewing gum, medication, and rehab.
Cut Out Stress
A life without stress is impossible. Yet, a life with too much stress can take years off your life. When the body is under constant stress it accelerates aging. The chromosomes in your body have caps on the end of them called DNA telomeres. As you get older the telomeres weaken causing your cells to age. However, if you suffer from chronic stress, the high levels of cortisol can accelerate aging causing everything from slowed energy to wrinkles.
The objective here is to live as long as you can, which means you have to do a more effective job and managing stress. When you feel yourself getting stressed out you need to identify the trigger, take a few deep breaths, take a break, if necessary, and once you’re calm, come up with a way to reduce the stress in the future. For example, if you’re stressed at the office, take a bathroom break, do some deep breathing, and head back to your desk to determine what caused the stress. Getting organized, delegating tasks, finding systems and applications to streamline processes, and talking to your employer are all effective ways to try and beat workplace stress.
Protect Your Skin
Getting plenty of sunlight and spending time outdoors can greatly improve your health. The vitamin D helps to boost your mood and strengthen your bones. That being said, going out in the sun, no matter the season, without the proper protection will age you faster. The ultraviolet rays from the sun make contact with the skin and damage the skin’s elasticity causing wrinkles.
Protecting your skin from the sun is extremely important. Wearing sunglasses, hats, and products with SPF 30 or higher in them can help to keep the sun from penetrating and damaging the skin. You should also be mindful of how much time you spend in the sun as too much exposure can have the same effect. If you work outdoors, be sure to protect yourself further with long-sleeve shirts and pants.
Find a Good Skin Specialist
Before you go spend a ton of money on anti-aging products that may or may not work for you, find yourself a good skin specialist or dermatologist. They can analyze your skin to determine the direct cause of your rapid aging. From there, they can offer you innovative treatment options from botox and fillers to facials and laser surgery.
Getting older doesn’t have to be something that you dread. In fact, they can be some of the best years of your life. The trick is to start taking care of yourself now to slow the signs of aging as you get older. On top of eating a well-balanced diet and staying active, incorporate these age-defying tips into your lifestyle and get back to your youthful self.
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