Growing up and getting older is a natural part of life. No matter how hard you try, you can’t pause time and continue living in a certain time period! It would be nice if you could, but scientists are yet to develop the technology to make it possible.
Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t make changes to your life to make you feel younger. Many people start feeling really old as they cross the threshold into their 50s. Honestly, you still have so much of your life ahead of you, but it’s normal to feel this way. If you’re struggling with a mental battle because you feel old, here are some simple ways you can bring some youthfulness back to your life:
Start exercising
What tends to happen is you exercise less as you get older. There are various reasons for this, one being that you don’t think you have much time. When you’re in your teens and twenties, exercise seems like a top priority. Then, you have children, and the next twenty or so years are spent looking after them. By the time the kids have flown the nest, you’re far more inactive than you used to be.
The problem with this is that inactivity leads to more inactivity. The less active you are, the harder it is to get back in the swing of things. Plus, a lack of exercise can make you feel super old. Your joints hurt, your strength goes, and you may even develop issues with your balance. But, if you start exercising regularly again, all of these issues can be reversed. You’ll feel stronger, your joints will be in better condition, and you develop your motor skills. Not only that, but simple things like walking up and down the stairs no longer require a lot of effort. Your life becomes so much easier yet again – it’s like you’ve transported yourself back into your 20-year-old body!
Get out more
Following on from the first idea, many of us start becoming socially inactive as we get older. You’ve all heard stories of people in their 60s or 70s who seemingly become hermits. They stay at home, don’t like going out, and don’t spend time with others. Again, there are lots of reasons this can happen, but you don’t want it to happen to you. Ironically, one key reason is that you think you are too old to go out and enjoy yourself. This really isn’t true at all!
Consequently, you should make it your mission to go out as often as you can. Set up coffee dates with your friends, go for long walks in the park, and maybe even head out to a bar on the weekends. After all, why shouldn’t you do all of these things?! Let’s get a bit psychological for a second here. I think people of a certain age are almost programmed to believe they should act in certain ways. Things like going out for drinks are so commonly associated with younger people that we don’t think we can join in. Realistically, this is garbage! Get out more, and you will feel young once again.
Dye your hair
Changing your hair color can be a brilliant way of feeling young once more. A lot of us start turning gray well before entering our 50s, and it’s one of the main signs of aging. Well, it technically doesn’t mean that you’re old or anything like that, but it’s a visual cue most people look at and associate with old age.
So, dying your hair back to its original color will make you feel young again. Or, go one step further and dye it to a completely different color! The choice is yours, just make sure you know about things like permanent versus semi-permanent hair color, and all that jazz. Even if you’re not turning gray, dying your hair gives you a new lease of life. It just seems to make you feel more youthful and exuberant! Plus, it’s a low-cost idea that requires very little effort and can boost your confidence.
Consider cosmetic treatments
There is definitely a misconception about cosmetic treatments. If you want to blame anyone for this, blame the celebs in Hollywood! They usually get over-the-top treatments making themselves look like plastic dolls. Plus, they usually do it for no reason other than to try to conform to the latest beauty trends. Anyway, rant over, cosmetic treatments are not a bad thing at all. In fact, they can make you look and feel a lot younger, which can be so good for your self-esteem.
Furthermore, you think of cosmetic treatments and instantly think about detailed surgeries and facelifts. In reality, there are so many non-surgical treatments that are great for your skin health. If you want to get rid of wrinkles and delay the signs of aging, cosmetic treatments can be great for you. There’s nothing wrong with getting them, and you will see the benefits right away.
Take up a new hobby
Giving yourself a hobby can transport you back to your younger days. There’s just something about having a hobby that makes you feel more youthful. Perhaps it links in with the ideas of exercising and being active. A hobby forces your body and mind to actually do something, rather than sitting at home doing nothing. Plus, depending on the hobby, it can remind you of your younger days.
For example, something like painting is a great hobby as it’s fun and mentally engaging. You feel like your younger self as you paint things, but it also makes you not feel old and useless. There’s more structure to your days with a hobby – I think that’s the key! When you’re young, your days have structure for decades. You go to school, you go to work, and so on. When you get older, you may no longer have work, so the structure just disappears. This brings it back, almost giving your life more purpose.
Wear different clothes
Again, this is something we can link to the first point on exercising. Older people, for whatever reason, start to dress differently. The clothes you wore in your 30s are hidden away in the attic. Instead, you’re wearing things that you saw older people wear when you were younger. Why do we do this? Why are certain outfits and clothing items only seen as young or old? Part of it is down to you not being in the physical shape you once were. That’s where exercise comes in, ensuring you can maintain a similar body throughout your older years.
However, exercise aside, there’s nothing stopping you from dressing however the hell you want. If you like wearing specific items of clothing, don’t stop wearing them just because you’re over 50! Dress how you want, not how you think you should dress.
As the old saying goes: you’re only as young as you feel. People don’t realize how true that is until they reach the latter stages in life. Being 50 may feel like you’re old, but you’re not at all. Even when you’re 60 or 70, you have plenty of life left in you. The big mistake that people make is they get caught up on these numbers. You see that you’re a specific age, and it starts to get to you. You begin acting how you think someone of that age should act, and it only makes you feel older. If you try some of the ideas on this list, you will definitely feel and look younger.
