Aging is something that happens to all of us. However, we tend to look at time as detrimental, always wanting to look younger than our age suggests. Your perspective is a huge influence on how you view age and you can feel younger than the numbers suggest if you take the following steps.
1. Be Present
Don’t always think about what tomorrow is going to bring or what happened yesterday. Today is a brand new day, a clean slate. For every activity that you participate in, be 100% there instead thinking about what else is on your to-do list. When you are mindful and completely present, age does not even enter into the equation.
2. Listen First
Have you ever met a person who always interjects in a conversation and never listens to your thoughts? Rude! Well, learn from them and decide that you will not do that to anyone else. Listen to what others have to say and think before you respond. When you do this, you will notice that you begin to truly care about what the other person is saying and you will find that wisdom can be beyond age if you will just listen. You may learn something from someone younger than you, which will make you feel younger than your peers.
3. Daily Entertainment
Choose what you read and watch on the TV carefully. The more you read the news and other information sources that are full of negativity, the more that you will begin to see life that way. When you open up to continually reading positive new things and watching things that interest you and are a good influence, you will not see age in the same light. You will feel much younger and realize that your age is just a number and is not a constraint on you.
4. Are You More Experienced?
We all know a person who believes they know everything, and someone who is the exact opposite who always feels inferior to others. Age can play with our minds, tricking us into believing either that we know everything or we are too old to know anything. We are never to old to learn something new and open to up to sharing with others. Knowledge is a gift, and once you share it we can all learn. Let go of saying you are too experienced or do not know enough, and explore the possibilities. Age will not be an issue then.
5. Surround Yourself With Younger People
When you are around younger generations, you will always learn something and be caught up with what is happening in their world. Younger people will look to you for advice and wisdom. Are you having trouble finding someone to talk to? Just walk into your local coffee shop and strike up a conversation. This will make you feel younger and being around younger people will bring out the best in you. You will stop going on about how old you are!
6. Eat Real Food and Exercise
When you eat a whole food diet that does not include processed foods and you get adequate exercise, it is proven that you will not only feel younger but can do things that you might not have believed were possible. Take Fauja Singh for instance, who ran his last marathon at the young age of 101. When you fuel your body properly and move naturally, you can do anything, and physically you’ll be a lot younger than your chronological age.
7. Sleep
You know that sleep is important, but do you know how important? Sleep allows our bodies time to for leptin activation and optimal hormone output. In layman’s terms, sleep keeps us healthy. Without a sound night’s rest, you will start to see yourself aging faster, along with developing associated health issues. Turn off the lights and get to bed earlier.
8. Do Something New
Getting into a routine and good habits is easy. When you start adding something new and different into your day, you begin to take on a different perspective. You may even find a new hobby or sideline that you really love. You are no longer focused on age being an issue if you truly enjoy what you are doing.
9. Stay Positive
Attitude is one of the main keys in life. The more optimistic and positive you are, the more you will see the joys in life. You will continue to look at the opportunities and not focus on the negative aspects.
10. Stress Less
Stressors are everywhere in our environment, but it’s all in how you eliminate them that helps you stay young. Start being mindful and focus on what you can do right now instead of tomorrow. Turn off the news and focus on what is happening with you and those closest to you. When you see the good in life, the stressors that once were there are eliminated. Alongside this, clearing your mind before bed is another way to turn off all of the stress. Try the Navy Seals method by box breathing.
Time is construed in our minds and is only a perspective. When we make this our reality and say that we cannot do something solely because of a number, we limit ourselves. But nothing could be further from the truth. I know many people who spend their time being mindful and present today and age is the last thing on their mind. They realize that today is what matters and the impossible is possible if you just try. Don’t let your age be a roadblock—look to Fauja Singh for inspiration.
Featured photo credit: Raul Liberwirth via Flickr
