It’s no secret that modern Western society embraces youth at the expense of aging. However, this cult of youth has detrimental effects — emotionally, mentally, and physically — on both older and younger people, especially women. If you’d like to embrace your age, rather than shunning, there are many ways to change the narrative. From embracing menopause relief to staying positive, here are nine things you can do to look and feel great during your golden years.
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1. Look to older role models
If you need some inspiration for this new phase of your life, seek out older role models who are also embracing their age rather than fighting it. This might be a celebrity, a friend, or a family member — who it is doesn’t matter as much as the example they set. Look for role models who take advantage of their older years and make the most of them rather than bemoaning their lost youth. The best is still ahead of you and them!
2. Update your skincare routine
As you age, your skin changes, losing collagen and becoming drier. If you had oily, acne-prone skin for most of your life, your old skincare routine might not provide the same results as you age. Even if your skin was already dry before, you might need to moisturize more in order to keep your skin looking plump and dewy. You don’t need expensive ingredients for cosmetic procedures to look great — and the effect of those will be short-lived if you don’t already have a solid skincare habit in place. And whatever you do, don’t forget to put on sunscreen each day, which can help prevent signs of aging.
3. Reconsider your makeup
Those changes in your skin also impact how your makeup looks on your face. While some women believe that any makeup at all will make them look younger, certain types of makeup and application techniques can actually make you appear even older than you are. For instance, powder foundation settles into wrinkles and fine lines, aging you more rather than making you look younger, whereas liquid foundations don’t settle as much and provide a better finish for drier skin. If you’ve been doing the same makeup routine for decades, it might be time to switch some things up.
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4. Give your wardrobe a refresh
As you age, your body changes in shape and size, and those bodycon dresses you loved in your 20s might not be to your tastes anymore. Rather than trying to squeeze into old styles from your younger days, experiment with some new looks that flatter your figure and complement your new life phase. In fact, some people actually find it easier to take fashion risks when they are older due to their maturity, confidence, and a strong sense of self. If you’ve been waiting to wear big glasses, funky jewelry, or bold colors, now is the time to do it.
5. Change up your workout regimen
When you get older, your muscles lose mass, your joints become less lubricated, and your balance gets shakier. However, this isn’t inevitable, and you can help keep your body strong with a dedicated anti-aging exercise routine full of beneficial exercises like weight lifting and yoga. You can still do other forms of exercises that you love, but it’s a good idea to incorporate a few workouts a week that are deliberately designed to help reduce the effects of aging. And don’t forget about muscles down there! You might want to try some pelvic floor exercises and purchase Kegel balls to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles that often weaken with age.
6. Take time to relax and rest
What if you could do one thing that could de-puff your face, promote cell growth, and give you instant energy? Actually, you can, and it’s called getting enough sleep each night. Sleep is one of the keys to both reducing the effects of aging and feeling great as you get older. Furthermore, keeping your stress levels low and not fretting too much about getting older are also essential for aging gracefully. If you have a high-stress level and you rarely sleep enough, you might want to start making some lifestyle changes.
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7. Stay curious and keep learning
Your mind can stay sharp well into your twilight years — if you work at it, that is. Don’t believe the myth that you can’t learn anything new once you reach a certain age. Instead, embrace new hobbies and stretch yourself to acquire new skills and knowledge. It might not come as easily as it did in your teens and early 20s before your brain became fully developed, but try not to get discouraged by this. Just because you can’t learn quite as fast as you once did doesn’t mean that it’s not worth doing.
8. Surround yourself with positivity
There is a lot of negative messaging out there around aging, especially for women. As much as you can, block out those voices and surround yourself with positive ones instead. Many age-related conditions, such as menopause relief, are often poorly understood and rarely talked about publicly. If you’re having trouble, don’t be afraid to find a doctor or specialist to help you with your health problem. You don’t have to be silent!
9. Strengthen your social bonds
One of the biggest problems facing older adults is loneliness and isolation. Some of this is caused by outside factors — for instance, a medical condition like arthritis that makes it difficult to leave the house. In other cases, older adults are the ones who pull away from others, believing that society only values more youthful people. Resist the urge to withdraw and, instead, make it a point to both maintain your existing social connections and make new ones. You might be surprised how much people are interested in hearing from you.
Aging gracefully is totally possible, and age itself has many benefits to offer in terms of maturity and wisdom. Follow these nine tips to embrace aging in a society obsessed with looking younger.
