Ten Tips for Healthy Aging  

All opinons are mine and mine alone.

Ten Tips for Healthy Aging  

Aging is something that happens to everyone, and we have no control over it. However, we do have control over how we choose to handle the aging process. We can choose to let life pass us by or enjoy each and every moment to the fullest.   

If you’re noticing things about yourself as the result of aging and want to improve your situation, consider these inspiring ten tips for healthy aging: 

 Take Care of Your Skin 

When people think about taking care of their skin, they sometimes imagine it to be solely about vanity. But this is simply not true. Did you know that your skin is an actual organ?   

It is just as important as your kidneys or lungs, and carries out a wide variety of functions which help your body avoid disease and infection. As such, taking care of your skin is as important for good health as things like a healthy diet or exercise.  

 Get Good Sleep 

Sleep is absolutely important for good general health, no matter what age you are. Moreover, getting good sleep is one of the best things you can do to age healthily. During sleep, our body essentially regenerates itself, and completes the functions it isn’t able to during the day.   

Thus, when you don’t get enough sleep, you feel sluggish and drained. It’s also not ideal when your sleep is interrupted, as your body has to go into rush mode and doesn’t get to finish off the tasks it was in the middle of.  

If you want to age healthily, create a sleep environment that is conducive to restful, uninterrupted sleep. This allows your body to do what it needs to, and you will be able to tackle the next day with more energy and enthusiasm. 

 Eat Well 

You will notice that this point says to ‘eat well’ and not to ‘eat healthy’. Eating well and eating healthy are two different things. If your goal to eat healthy is causing you stress or is taking enjoyment from your life, you need to stop obsessing over it so much. The key to healthy aging and good health is actually eating well without prioritizing health.   

Look at the Mediterranean diet, for example: it’s filled with oils and rich meats, and yet they have one of the healthiest diets in the world. Now, eating well does not mean eating five chocolate bars a day and a burger for dinner of course.   

It simply means including a wide variety of different nutrients in your diet, not being afraid of fat or carbs, trying not to eat too much sugar, and eating all of the different food groups in a balanced and healthy manner.  

Enjoy your salad dressing, enjoy the rich sauce with your chicken and vegetables. Don’t overdo it, but don’t force yourself to eat plain lettuce and drink nothing but water every day. 

 Socialize 

As people get older, it’s not uncommon for them to lose touch with old friends and see family members less often. For example, a mother with children who have grown up and started their own families might only see them on special occasions such as Christmas or birthdays.  

 Moving house, a change in circumstance, or being let down by those you care about are all possible reasons for losing social connections. However, part of aging healthily is maintaining old ties or creating new ones.   

Loneliness and depression are common ailments of those getting older, so it’s important to connect with people on a social level as often as you can.  

 Treat Yourself 

Another tip for healthy aging is to treat yourself. We live in a society where things like treating yourself can be perceived as selfish or indulgent behavior, so many people feel it is their duty to live a miserable life filled with little but obligations to other people.  

However, we all need a break from time to time. We only have so much intellectual, spiritual, and emotional energy, and if we expend 100% of it on everyone around us, we have none left to ensure our own wellbeing.  

Moreover, if you don’t treat yourself whenever you simply need it, you’ll soon find that you become resentful and bitter about your obligations. Thus, you are actually doing the other people in your life a favor by taking some time to yourself without worrying about everyone around you or what they might think. 

 Look After Your Mental Health     

Looking after your mental health is one of the most important tips for healthy aging. When we think about words or phrases like ‘health’, ‘healthy living’, or ‘a healthy lifestyle’ we assume it’s about healthy eating and exercise.   

However, these positive actions mean absolutely nothing without a healthy mind. There are so many reasons to look after your mental health. First, if you neglect it, everything else will suffer. If you don’t rein in negative thoughts, they will soon consume you. If you don’t keep your brain mentally fit, you will soon become scatter-brained and forgetful.  

 If you are plagued with stress and worry, this will almost certainly lead to depression and physical health complications. So, if you want to stay healthy as you age, prioritize your mental health and everything else will fall into place. 

 Avoid Stress 

Telling someone to avoid stress sounds rather silly, since we apparently lack control over many events in our lives. Well guess what? You can choose to avoid stress. Stress is an emotion.   

We might not have control over what happens in life, but we do have control over our reaction to it. This is why there are people who stress out over what to make for dinner, or when a lightbulb blows, while others seem to float through life as if in a dream.  

Moreover, there are always some actual situations we can avoid, but we often choose stress as a form of social etiquette. If a friend or family member asks you to do something that will simply overwhelm you, say NO. Too often, we take on obligations that cause unnecessary stress just to appear kind and selfless. If you want to age healthily, you need to learn how to say NO. 

 Do Enjoyable Exercise 

If you’re not a fan of exercise, there are still ways to do it in an enjoyable manner. Swimming, dancing, going for a walk on a breezy summer’s day, or starting a new active hobby like aerobics or yoga can really add to your positive perspective on life.   

We all know exercise is good for us, but many forms of exercise are simply difficult or boring. This doesn’t mean we can’t still be active, however.   

Think about a physical activity you might enjoy, and start doing as little as five minutes a day. You’ll soon see a peak in your energy level and overall enthusiasm due to the fact that exercise releases endorphins — the happy hormones. 

 Meditation 

 There is a pervasive stereotype that meditation is for hippies and involves some sort of spiritual invocation of Buddha. This is not true. There are many forms of meditation, and some aren’t really spiritual at all.  

Have you ever heard those calm voices who tell you to imagine you’re walking on a beach? That’s meditation. Meditation is a great tip for healthy aging as it is a great way of living in the moment, slowing everything down, and focusing on one thought only. This works wonders for both our mind and our body.  

Meditation can help prevent a range of ailments from depression, to Alzheimer’s, to more physical illnesses like high blood pressure. Try it for a few minutes whenever you can, and you’ll soon see the difference it makes in your life. 

 Change Your Outlook 

This final tip for aging healthily is so important. As you get older, it’s imperative that you change your outlook about the process of getting older. It is not a time for fear or worry.   

Instead, it is a time for a party. Yes, that’s right: a party. You have done all of the stressful things like raising a family and choosing a career.   

All of your kids can now take care of themselves, and you’ve finished work for good. There is so much to see and do, this is the time to be excited about what life has in store! 

 Age Gracefully  

By implementing these tips, you will soon find a new lease of life and a different outlook on the process of aging. Getting older is a fact of life; it is an event we cannot control.   

We should not waste time and energy mulling over things beyond our control. Instead, we should seize life by the reins and live it to our full potential. We only get one life, so it’s time to start really living it.