A few years back, I started to notice something odd. I knew two people who were around the same age. But one person looked tired all the time. Their skin lacked energy, their eyes seemed dull, and it just felt like they looked older than they were.
The other person was bright eyed, razor sharp, and fitter than most people half their age.
Genetics didn’t play a factor (trust me, I know both these people very well). Luck didn’t play a factor.
When I started to look closer, the only difference was their day to day habits.
Sure, we all age with time. But why should your 50’s feel like your 80’s?
It comes down to your habits. The tiny things you do every day that either help maintain your energy and appearance… or slowly kill you from the inside out.
If you’ve ever felt older than you should or have started to notice physical changes that you don’t like, these bad habits are the likely culprit.
8 Bad Habits That Make You Age Quickly
1. Skimping On Sleep Every Night
Sleep isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.
When you don’t get enough rest at night, your body doesn’t have time to recover from the day. Your skin becomes dry and wrinkled, your eyes look sunken, and you lack energy to do things. This builds up over time and creates someone who looks and feels aged.
More than that, though, sleep is important for your hormones, your immune system, and your cellular age. Sure, you can put on some face cream and drink coffee to hide the symptoms. But you can’t replace good sleep with a quick fix. When your sleep suffers, everything else suffers.
Read also: 15 Unrecognizable Glow Up Tips
2. Letting Stress Build Up Constantly
Some stress is perfectly okay. Stewing in it every day isn’t.
When you find yourself constantly stressed out or worried about things, your body begins to produce more cortisol. Cortisol is great when you’re dealing with an actual problem that needs immediate attention. But when it builds up, it kills collagen in your body. It ages you from the inside out and shows up in your face.
Worse than that, most people don’t realize just how much stress they should let go of. We’ve all been programmed to “deal with it,” “keep pushing,” and “toughen up,” but never let that stress go.
Your body keeps secrets that will eventually tell your story. Learn how to better manage stress and keep your body from aging prematurely.
Read also: How to Calm Stress in Just 3 Minutes
3. Not Drinking Enough Water
Water is something we take for granted. But your body loves it.
When you don’t drink enough water throughout the day, your skin suffers. It dehydrates, becomes rough, and has less elasticity. Plus, when you’re dehydrated, other bodily functions can’t run properly either. Not only will your skin show signs of dehydration, but your whole body will struggle.
If you go all day without drinking water (and replace it with soda and coffee), your body suffers. Hydration is key for healthy skin, proper organ function, and energy.
Read also: 10 Habits of Women Who Age Slowly
4. Eating Too Many Processed Foods
Eating sugar and processed foods causes inflammation.
When your body becomes inflamed on a regular basis, it damages your cells. It affects your skin, your organs, and your energy levels. Not only will you feel “sluggish,” but you’ll also look older because of it.
When you don’t eat the right nutrients, your body suffers. Not only does your skin start to show age, but your internal health is aging as well. Your body isn’t stupid, you are what you eat.
Pay attention to what you fuel it with. Make sure you’re getting proper nutrition to support your body.
5. Never Exercising
Sitting all day at a desk will age you.
Our bodies are meant to move. Period.
When you don’t exercise, walk, stretch, or keep your body active, your muscles begin to weaken. Your posture suffers, your energy plummets, and your body loses density. It’s not just “visible aging” that you have to worry about either.
Movement is life. From walking to working out, moving your body daily will keep you living longer and feeling better.
6. Staying Out In The Sun Too Long
Sunshine is good for you, but too much will damage your skin.
Too much sun causes your skin to lose collagen and elastin, which is what makes you wrinkle and age faster. Our bodies need sunlight, but we don’t need to fry ourselves every day either.
Never go outside without sun protection. Whether it’s sunscreen or pants. It doesn’t matter when the damage has been done. Wear your sunglasses and look younger longer.
7. Thinking Negative Thoughts
The power of your thoughts shouldn’t be underestimated.
Stress can come from allowing negative thoughts to run wild inside your head. Pessimism, overthinking, anger issues, these things don’t just happen to you. You allow them to.
Train your mind to think better thoughts. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Keep a positive mind and you’ll reflect that on the outside.
8. Skipping Time To Recharge
Yes, we all have jobs and things to do.
But when was the last time you relaxed and did nothing?
Too many people sacrifice rest and recovery for “being productive.” Your body needs time to recharge, and if you don’t give it that, then you’ll pay the price. Have you ever felt so tired that you slept for 12 hours, then felt tired again?
Your body starts keeping up with the Jones’ too. When you don’t take time to slow down, you’re asking for burnout. Everyone needs “me time.”
Learn how to better take care of yourself, and your body will thank you.
Conclusion
We only get one body. You can stretch your years by doing the things mentioned above.
They may seem like small, pointless things. But when you add them up, they make all the difference. Neglect them, and you’ll age faster. Practice better habits, and you’ll feel (and look) younger.
Don’t try to overhaul your life overnight. Start with one bad habit and make it better. Then move onto the next.
You were born old, you don’t have to live old.
FAQ
Will improving my habits actually slow down aging?
Absolutely. You can’t stop the aging process, but you can slow down how your body ages.
What are the worst habits that age you the quickest?
Lack of sleep and built up stress are at the top of the list. If you can improve these two, you’re golden.
How long does it take to start seeing changes?
Some changes you’ll see quickly, others will take time. But they all add up!
Is putting on skincare going to help me not age?
No skincare product is going to replace bad habits. Sure, skincare helps, but your habits are far more important.
Can these bad habits be reversed?
Yes! Your body can recover quite well from bad habits. Start improving today and watch your body thank you.
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