Growing up, I’d often hear women in my family complain about aging. Making it sound like it’s something that happens to you, as if you’re a victim to it. The older I get, the more I’m realizing everything in life is a choice. Including aging gracefully. In this post I’m going to share some tips on how to age gracefully. Because whether you want to age or not, it’s going to happen.
As I mentioned above, I’ve seen many people in my life complain about getting older, as if it will stop time or help somehow. Honestly, now that I’m thinking about it, this has come from people from different periods of my life, not just family. It’s so common to hear people complaining about body aches or weight gain as if it’s out of their control.
I know I’m only 36 (yes, ONLY), but with each birthday, I am realizing that everything in life is a choice. We are powerful beings that get to choose the quality of life we want to have. It’s important to prioritize our wellbeing because at the end of the day, our health is all we have. You’re probably familiar with the following quote:
A healthy (wo)man wants a thousand things, a sick (wo)man only wants one.
-Confucius
Think about the last time you were sick. The only thing on your mind was how to feel better, right? Although this blog isn’t only about health, I had to mention it because you can’t age gracefully if you’re not healthy enough to age lol. Anyway, continue reading for my top tips on how to age gracefully!
Move your body
My first tip on how to age gracefully is to move your body. What I mean by that is choosing what feels right to you as long as you get your heart beating faster. Of course I have to suggest yoga (or at least stretching) but honestly, as long as you’re moving, it’s better than nothing.
Exercise not only improves heart health and wellbeing but it helps with mental health too. Some suggestions are to walk or jog, hike in nature, lift weights or simply put on your favorite music and dance. Another reason why this tip matters is because physical activity can help with weight management. By moving your body you’ll burn calories and increase your energy from endorphins being released.
Manage stress
This tip is as or even more important than the first. Managing stress is vital when it comes to aging gracefully because 90% of illnesses and diseases are stress related!! Some of those include but aren’t limited to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and heart disease. Idk about you, but I’ve heard people say that a particular disease “runs in their family.” Therefore, they pretty much expect to get it too.
I’m sure particular diseases have run in families but as I mentioned in the beginning of this blog, you are in control. By managing your nervous system, you can improve the quality of your life tremendously. I know it’s easier said than done but remember that stressing over the past doesn’t get you anywhere. Stressing over the future tampoco. The only thing you can control is your thoughts on your current circumstances. Hit me up if you need them with this.
SLEEP
My next tip on how to age gracefully is to prioritize sleep. I’ve known people that have viewed sleep almost as an obstacle getting in the way of their lives. Please don’t be one of those people. Sleep is SO important when it comes to aging. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Not only does sleep provide health benefits such as lowering the risk of diabetes or heart disease, but sleep improves your skin too. New collagen is produced while you sleep leading to less wrinkles.
A few tips on how to improve the quality of your sleep are the following:
- Avoid heavy meals and alcohol a few hours before bed
- Set the temperature to be on the cool side
- Use blackout curtains to block out sunlight in the mornings
- Try using a weighted blanket
- Limit electronic use (including watching tv) while you’re in bed
Another final thing I’ll share regarding this tip is to invest in a high quality bed and bedding when possible. Friendly reminder that we spend 1/3 of our lifetime in bed so you might as well make it comfortable.
Stay hydrated
My next tip on how to age gracefully is to stay hydrated! Drink plenty of water throughout the day everyday. I feel like I don’t even need to tell you the benefits of drinking water because there’s so many lol but here you go.
Some health benefits of drinking water are the following:
- regulates body temperature
- cushions joints
- improves digestion
- helps every body system function properly
Aside from those few health benefits, drinking water improves your skin! It prevents wrinkles by improving skin elasticity and it improves complexion. It also helps your skin heal faster and finally it minimizes pores. Who doesn’t want that? Aim to drink around 2 liters of water a day but honestly, it depends on a lot of factors like your weight and active level. So I’d say listen to your body and just drink water throughout all of your day. If your pee is clear, you’re drinking enough water.
Prioritize skincare
I couldn’t skip skincare in my list of tips on how to age gracefully. Remember to use sunscreen even if you don’t think it’s sunny outside. You can still damage unprotected skin from the sun’s UV rays, which break down the skin’s elastin causing wrinkles and age spots. Use a quality SPF 30+ sunscreen (my favorite is this one) and reapply as needed especially in hot sunny weather as you may sweat it off.
Another tip is to moisturize your skin. I’m currently loving using rosehip face oil as part of my bedtime skincare routine. I apply some to my face and neck before using my gua sha tool for a facial massage. Sounds time consuming but you can do this in less than 10 minutes. Here is a tutorial. Skin care is personalized to each individual so work with a dermatologist or at least talk to an expert at beauty stores that can help you pick the right products for your skin type. My final thought on this one is to always wash your makeup off before you go to bed. You don’t want to clog your pores from not making time to wash your face at the end of the day.
Fuel your body better
You are what you eat! Choose foods that are alive, meaning foods that come from the Earth such as fruits and vegetables. Limit foods that come from a factory. Those heavily processed foods contain unhealthy levels of sugar, sodium and fat. I’ll tell you from personal experience that removing processed foods from my diet was harder than I expected so if you’ve tried in the past to no avail, I can’t blame you. There’s literally teams of people whose job is to make those foods addictive so you can’t stop eating them.
If you are purchasing packaged foods, check the label to make sure you understand the ingredients. Also keep an eye out for added sugars and sodium. Anyway, choose whole quality foods that will give you sustained energy and vitality. You’ll find that you feel so much better once you start fueling your body properly. Not only will you notice increased energy, mental clarity and improved skin complexion, but your vibration will be higher too. I won’t get into it but this can make manifesting easier. Here are my healthy food staples to give you some ideas next time you grocery shop.
Enjoy the moment
Don’t take life too seriously, because it’s not. We chose this human experience to learn lessons and play. So go out and do things that excite you. Adopt an abundant mindset that’s always learning. You’re never too old to learn new things. So if there’s something you always wanted to try since childhood, the time is now! View the world as your playground where you get to live how you want. By living in the present moment, you’ll release the past and future expectations. Life is meant to be fun.
Final thoughts
One final thought I have on aging gracefully is to embrace it! Aging is a gift that many people in the world don’t get to experience. Every age is unique and special so I invite you to embrace it instead of trying to relive the past looking “young” whatever that means to you. There’s a way to embody your age in a youthful and confident way. You are beautiful as you are, no need for me to tell you that but I just had to :).
Let me know your thoughts on this post! Did I miss any tips? Feel free to DM me on Instagram at any time. Also, follow me on Tik Tok! Yes, your girl is on there now. And finally, make sure you sign up for my newsletter so you never miss a blog post or other things I’m up to! Thank you for reading!!
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