As well as looking younger, we’d all like to feel younger – to recapture the energy and vitality of youth. While it is not possible to turn back the clock – despite the never-ending quests for the ‘Fountain of Youth’ – it is possible to feel younger just by following a few simple habits:
Top Tips For Feeling Younger
Tip # 1 – Nothing beats a good night’s sleep. Sleep gives your body a chance to rest and repair itself, enabling you to face each day feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. The amount of sleep required varies between individuals. Still, you’ll know you need more if you feel chronically fatigued, yawning a lot, unable to concentrate, irritable or listless and lethargic.
One reason children often seem full of vitality is that they tend to sleep more and better. Sleep quality is essential too – fewer hours of sound sleep can be more beneficial than a longer period of restless sleep. To ensure you sleep soundly, avoid overstimulating your mind just before bedtime.
Try to find a way to put the day’s stresses out of your mind, whether this is by listening to some music, reading a good book, meditating or chatting with friends and family. Invest in a comfortable bed and arrange your bedroom to promote rest – remember, you sleep more of your lifetime asleep than doing any other activity, and it is the one thing guaranteed to make you feel more energised, so cherish it!
Tip # 2 – Avoid caffeine, alcohol and sugary soft drinks. Even if these drinks give you a temporary boost, they will soon leave you feeling drained and restless. Scientists believe the phosphoric acid in fizzy drinks contributes to calcium loss in bones.
Alcohol and caffeine are diuretics, causing your body to lose water and contributing to dehydration – leaving you feeling tired and lethargic. So the next time you need a boost, opt for freshwater instead – you may find that simply by hydrating yourself effectively, you will already feel better and more energised without the need for these drinks.
Tip # 3 – One of the main symptoms of feeling old is slowing down – so make an effort to keep active. Not only does regular exercise protect you against stress and disease, it will also help you maintain bone density and mobility. Exercise also helps enhance your sex life, improve your mental abilities and elevate your mood. The more mobile and active you remain, the younger you will feel.
Tip # 4 – Keep an eye on your eating habits. Beware of foods high in empty calories from sugar and fat – base your diet on fresh, unprocessed foods rich in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. For an added anti-ageing boost, choose foods rich in antioxidants, which will fight the ageing processes at a cellular level. Eating sugary foods will mean more trips to the dentist , which is not fun if you have a dental phobia!
Tip # 5 – Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for health, and scientific studies have shown that reducing your caloric intake can have an active anti-ageing effect at a cellular level as well. Just losing a few pounds can often make a world of difference to your energy levels and help you feel ‘younger’. If you need to lose weight, do so gradually as rapid weight loss will cause skin sagging, as well as being unhealthy for your body.
Tip # 6 – Try to maintain as much flexibility as possible by continuing to do gentle stretching exercises as you age. This will help to avoid general stiffness and back problems, as well as enhance your mobility so that you can remain active and do all the things you used to do – the key to feeling younger.
Tip #7 – Make an active effort to manage stress. Not easy in today’s hectic world but spend some time to find what works for you. Stress depresses the immune system and may indirectly contribute to more diseases and illnesses than we realise. It is also a major factor in premature ageing.
Tip # 8 – Keep stimulating your mind. You are never too old to learn new skills – so continue mentally challenging yourself. The brain – and in particular, your memory – is like a muscle. The more you use it, the more powerful it becomes.
Tip # 9 – Keep a happy, positive outlook. Cheerful optimism is a key feature of the young and the young at heart. Happiness triggers the release of endorphins, which relax and soothe the cardiovascular and immune systems.
Tip # 10 – Believe that you are young! The old adage is true – you are only as old as you think you are. Don’t mentally age yourself – keep exploring the world around you, remain interested in people and continue trying to grow and develop yourself. One study of patients in London found that those who recorded positive thoughts in their diaries lived, on average, 9 years longer than their grumpier counterparts!
Read On
- NHS – Sleep and tiredness
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/ - NHS – Water, drinks and hydration
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/water-drinks-nutrition/ - NHS – Benefits of exercise
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-health-benefits/ - NHS – 5 steps to mental wellbeing
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/five-steps-to-mental-wellbeing/
About the Author
