Aging is a gift. Getting old is a gift because life is a gift, although the media might not present it like so. Living, and thus the inevitable passing of time, presents us with chances of experiencing great joys, small pleasures, and with that great pain as well. Such is life that how we live becomes marked in our skin and that’s not a bad thing at all. With age comes wisdom, joy, perspective, and experience, and all of these things are wonderful things; it’s not shameful or bad if our bodies show that we have lived. That said there are ways to age gracefully.
But first, what is aging gracefully? Here at glow sugar it’s about living your best life and having the physical and mental health to enjoy it.
Here are some ways to live that best life and age gracefully:
- Embrace aging: Yes. You will age, but that only means that you grow in knowledge, in power, and in wisdom. You get the gift of living, of refining your tastes, of building loving relationships.
- Enjoy the pleasures of life: This goes hand in hand with embracing that you age. Make sure your life is one you enjoy, be that by the relationships you have, your routines, your creativity, your home, your travels, and your adventures. I remember reading that small joys and big joys are the same in terms of the satisfaction they bring.
- Be kind to your skin: This involves using sunscreen (the most important thing!), avoiding prolonged sun exposure when the sun is high in the sky, and having a solid skincare routine with good products (that we have plenty of in Glow-Sugar). Make sure to keep it well moisturized, that is key to happy skin. Having good skin quality is what is going to keep you graceful, more so than avoiding the generation of wrinkles. This means: exfoliating often, using products that have vitamin C, and products that have retinols or retinol replacements (check out our photo-aged section which has amazing products)
- Be kind to your hair: Your scalp ages! And it ages 12x faster than the skin on your body and 6x faster than the skin on your face and neck. Make sure you keep it well hydrated (yes hydration is important here too). To prevent breakage in the hair shaft oil them a little every night. Both of these things are extra important if you dye your hair.
- Be active and exercise: Leading an active lifestyle is important for physical and mental health. Exercise increases oxygenation, which in turns increases tissue repair. That said whatever exercise you do should be something you enjoy because you will make the time to do things you enjoy. Don’t go running if running is the bane of your existence, go cycling instead, or swimming, or hiking, or do yoga, or tennis. The sky is the limit.
- Sleep well: Sleep is truly the pilar of health, both mental and physical. Being sleep deprived can significantly lower your emotional intelligence, which means you are less adept at solving problems and navigating relationships. It’s also essential to regulate your hormones and immune system, and repair tissues. Getting eight hours and falling asleep at a decent time is essential for your well-being, no matter what age you may be.
- Eat well: Eating the recommended 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day is really important to age well. It’s also important to eat enough protein to repair tissues, and to eat enough unsaturated fats like those that come from nuts and olive oil.
- Lower your stress: This goes hand in hand with sleeping well and exercising, both things that lower stress but also the first things that fall to the wayside when you are stressed. Identifying the things that stress you and learning to manage them is important. However, there are some tips to learn to manage the stress response when you are overwhelmed and anxious, like somatic shaking, clenching all of your muscles at the same time and then releasing, taking a cold shower, etc.
- Limit alcohol consumption and stop smoking (if you smoke): Alcohol and smoking really overload your system with toxins. This is why you should drink in moderation and stop smoking.
- Do things you enjoy: Another thing that goes hand in hand with lowering stress and enjoying life. Really make sure to incorporate activities that you enjoy in your day to day. It can be something as small as taking a moment to appreciate your cup of tea or coffee to treating yourself to a night out with your friends.
- Take up new hobbies: Make time to explore who you are as a person. I think that’s one of the biggest perks of growing older: discovering new doors of yourself, be that your sudden interest in woodworking to skincare.