…and land yourself more compliments
Ever wonder why some youthful and pretty-looking girl turns out to be in her forties, and someone who looks old and haggard is actually in their twenties?
The age of 25 is when you start seeing wrinkles, thinner hair, and stretchier skin on your face and body.
Soon you start thinking about collagen. Anti-wrinkle creams. Hair dyes. Hitting the gym (if you haven’t yet). Drinking more water.
You’re not alone. We may claim to embrace aging and swear never to succumb to nefarious means like botox and surgery, but that doesn’t mean we don’t wish to hold on to our youthful looks for just a little bit longer.
Fortunately, here are 7 tricks you can use to get compliments like — “You totally don’t look your age!”
#1: Managing your thoughts to look younger naturally
If you are worried about running out of cash, for example, your first instinct is to feel fear.
The strain eventually shows. After a few weeks, your wrinkles become more pronounced. Your grey hairs sprout like weeds.
Take control of your thoughts, and hence control your emotions. Genuinely happy thoughts produce genuine delight, resulting in a more youthful-looking face.
What can you do? Participate in happy thoughts, count your blessings, however small. Be grateful, even when it’s difficult to be.
#2: Smiling your way to youthfulness
According to WebMd, your facial expression has a huge impact on how someone else estimates your age. A person with a sad or somber face is generally predicted to be older than he or she really is, and vice versa.
Smiling frequently also trains the muscles around the lips, the mouth, and the cheeks, preventing premature sagging and aging.
Want to always look a decade younger than your age? This is one of life’s most popular secret sauces! Smile away, just don’t look crazy while doing it. (I just KNOW some of you are trying to look crazy right now with a big smile etched on your faces!)
#3: The stress and youth equation – how stress affects your ability to look younger naturally
Stressed? It’s normal! Everyone has a certain amount of stress they deal with on a daily basis. However, it is chronic or long-term stress that eventually leads to premature aging.
A good way to manage this will be to know the causes behind your chronic and persistent stress and find a way to tackle the reasons, one by one.
The moment you decide on the action steps you want to take to manage your problems, your stress levels drop immediately by half. Voila! Holding on to your youth already!
More on how stress can accelerate the aging process here.
How to know when it’s not just stress, but burnout? Read on to find out here.
#4: Flex your way to youth
Stretching is not something we do just when our bones and our joints are creaking, but also because it increases flexibility, blood flow and improves energy.
A 10-minute stretch every evening before bedtime makes your body feel lighter and your mind freer. The increased blood flow gives you better mental clarity and rosier cheeks.
As you progress and become better at stretching, you improve muscle strength and build bone density. All these lead to feeling younger and looking better.
#5: Did you know you can slow down your aging process, literally?
Telomeres are cap ends on DNA strands. Babies are born with the longest telomeres. These decrease in length as we age, leading to more wrinkles and saggy skin.
Telomeres also shorten more quickly if we have underlying medical conditions such as blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
People who are physically more active (think 30 minute walks daily) can re-lengthen shortened telomeres or slow down the decrease in length compared to people with sedentary lifestyles.
Make that time for yourself. Not only do you stay young for longer, exercise helps to clear your head and arrange your jumbled thoughts (when they’re jumbled, that is).
#6: How much sleep do you need daily to stay young and look younger naturally?
According to research, if you’re between 26 to 64 years old, you will need approximately 7 to 9 hours of sleep daily.
Inadequate sleep accelerates the aging process. This is because when you are in deep sleep, your growth hormones start repairing and renewing your damaged skin. What a great excuse to jump into bed on time and wake up late!
People with consistent 7 to 9 hours of sleep wake up feeling and looking rejuvenated. Don’t stop your body from doing its job — if you’re reading this and it’s past 11pm, you’re guilty of accelerated aging!
#7: Eating your way to compliments
This may sound cliche, but it is shocking how many people know what they need to do, but do not actually do what they know they need to do.
Eating clean means avoiding food that you know is bad for you, such as fast food, soft drinks, and food with an excessive amount of salt and oil.
You may not see the results overnight, but you can see them in as quickly as 2 weeks. Consuming more greens, fruits, lean meat, fish and eggs will give you a spring in your step and a sparkle in your eyes.
So are you ready to stay younger the natural way?
Looking and feeling young and energized increase productivity, confidence, and stamina. It’s all in your hands!
Use these 7 tips starting right this very moment, and see almost instantaneous results over the next few days. These tips work, no matter what age you’re at. Let’s start pocketing those compliments today. (Everyone likes compliments, but that’s a story for another day!)