However, despite the difficulties that a midlife crisis can bring, it can also be an opportunity for growth and transformation.

Taking the proper steps can turn this crisis into a catalyst for positive change in your life.

In this blog post, we will explore how you can transform your midlife crisis into an opportunity for growth and find meaning and purpose in this stage of your life.

Acknowledge the Crisis: The first step to turning a midlife crisis into growth is acknowledging that you are struggling.

Admitting that you are struggling can help you take the first steps toward finding a way forward.

Identify the Root Cause: To address a midlife crisis, it is vital to understand the underlying causes of your dissatisfaction.

• Are you feeling unfulfilled in your career?
• Are you struggling with a relationship?

Once you have identified the root cause, you can work towards finding a solution.

Take Stock Of Your Life: Midlife crises often occur when people feel they have not achieved their goals or lived up to their expectations.

Take the time to evaluate your life and consider what changes you need to make to live a more fulfilling life.

Embrace Change: A midlife crisis can be an opportunity to embrace change and try new things.

This might mean changing careers, starting a hobby, or relocating to a new city.

Set New Goals: New goals can help you move forward and find purpose during a midlife crisis.

Think about what you want to accomplish, then begin taking action to make your dreams a reality.

Seek Support: Going through a midlife crisis can be difficult, but it is essential to remember that you are not alone.

Seek support from friends, family, or a professional counselor to help you navigate this challenging time.

Practice Self-Care: Taking care of your physical and emotional well-being is essential during a crisis.

Make time for exercise, healthy eating, and activities that bring you joy.

Rediscover Your Passions: It is not uncommon to lose touch with the things that once brought you joy during a midlife crisis.

Take the time to rediscover your passions and find new ways to incorporate them into your life.

Focus on Personal Growth: Use this opportunity to focus on personal growth and self-improvement.

Read books, attend workshops, or take classes that can help you develop new skills and knowledge.

Embrace the Journey

Turning a midlife crisis into growth is not a quick fix but rather a journey that requires time and effort.

Embrace the journey and be patient with yourself as you work towards a more fulfilling life.

The post Turn a Midlife Crisis into a Time of Renewal appeared first on Create the Best Life.

Myth #1: Aging and Mental Decline Are Mutually Exclusive

While senility and mental decline are frequently linked to aging, they are frequently just acute reactions to other causes; getting older does not always mean losing mental capacity.

Things like various prescription medications for physical discomfort or dysfunction can frequently have mental side effects, but the mental decline doesn’t occur until a reasonably old age.

Additionally, a decline in mental clarity frequently has a lifestyle component and a medical component.

In retirement, there is often less intellectual stimulation, less challenge, and less social connection, which could affect one’s mental health.

The mental lethargy experienced by older populations who participate in social and intellectual activities differs from those who do not.

Myth #2: Growing Older is Accompanied by a Specific Set of Conditions

It is a complete misconception that becoming older means developing diseases, slowing down, losing your fun factor, thinking like an old fogey, being boring or slow, or essentially different from younger people.

Preconceptions and prejudices about aging are untrue and set the stage for a way of thinking that results in unsuccessful aging.

Even though you are older in years, you are the same person. You are only as old or young as you think you are!

Myth #3: We Will Continue To Take Medication for Age-Related Conditions

Medicine is similar to any stimulus or new circumstance we present to the body in that it will cause the body to react to make the necessary change.

Still, over time the body will adapt to reestablish homeostasis.

Similar to how we initially feel exhausted or worn out after working out, our bodies adapt over time, making the same exercise less complicated.

There appears to be a belief that as we age, taking medications and following prescriptions is just a fact of life and that any ailment we have is static.

On the other hand, as time passes, we must continue to adjust our medications, lifestyle, nutrition, and other aspects for our bodies to continue to develop and stay active rather than become dependent on medications and enter a state of stasis, especially ones with potentially harmful side effects.

Myth #4: The Aging Process Is Accompanied by a Loss of Balance

A more honest way to phrase this is to state that everyone falls as they age. Although it may happen frequently, this is a mistaken assumption.

Elderly populations do decline, but this is mainly due to people discontinuing physical activity, eating poorly, and other lifestyle choices that, over time, weaken our physical capabilities.

Balance may be preserved throughout time with the right amount of exercise and training, but as we age, we tend to engage in less and less physical activity when we should be doing the same or even more.

Instead of considering falls a natural part of aging, this stimulation and ongoing challenge to our neuromuscular system help us maintain and improve balance.

Myth #5: Your Body Becomes Dehydrated as You Get Older

Although we naturally don’t require or drink as much water as we did when we were younger, dehydration is not inevitable and can be prevented.

There are various causes for this, but ultimately it comes down to the reality that we don’t drink as much water as we age.

This can lead to chronic dehydration, which doesn’t have to be the case.

We must stay hydrated as we age because water is an essential aspect of human life and affects practically every system in the body in some way.

Myth #6: Limited and Reserved Activity Is Required

Most people, particularly in Western culture, abruptly discontinue or significantly reduce their physical activity in later life and never resume it.

There is a paradigm that says as we age, we should switch to low-intensity exercises because we are too frail or old to work with intensity.

This couldn’t be further from the truth; in reality, we typically haven’t kept up our physical activity and training to be at a level that allows us to engage in those activities.

Even though we may not be at the peak of our physical abilities, if we have kept up our training, there is no reason why we cannot continue to engage in vigorous or intense physical activities.

In addition, resistance training’s positive effects on bone density, metabolism, inflammation, balance, and other factors suggest that we should stay active rather than just being able to.

Age is no excuse for inactivity; a young and energetic mind comes from an active body!

Dispelling the Aging Myths!

These aging myths stop people from enjoying their golden years. No matter our age, there is no reason why we can’t live a happy and fulfilling life!

“Getting old is like climbing a mountain; you get a little out of breath, but the view is much better!” — Ingrid Bergman

The post Best 6 Aging Myths Revisited appeared first on Create the Best Life.

There are people like Iris Apfel, a fashion icon who just turned 100 years old this month. There are people like Oscar-nominated Morgan Freeman, who is still a lead actor at 84 years old.

Wouldn’t you love to know how people like these are able to not only maintain a youthful spirit but don’t think aging is a stigma?

The secret to aging is having the mentality of loving yourself no matter what others may consider as a problem.

This self-confidence doesn’t just show up. In order to feel good about aging, self-care has to be an important part of your daily routine.

How to Begin Self-Care

Before anything else, it must start in the mind. Vanity is worthless if you have flawless skin with not a wrinkle in sight, but you have an unhealthy mind.

Research has shown that having a positive mindset may actually increase your life span.

The reason for this is that positive thinking will decrease the amount of stress and depression we could experience which is another way to defy aging with self-care.

In fact, when it comes to stress, it has a very major impact on our immune system. This means you could be more susceptible to diseases including the common cold!

This makes it the perfect reason to start replacing any negative thoughts with positive thoughts!

How Can Positive Thinking be Self-Care?

You have millions of thoughts every single day. If most of those thoughts are negative, you are going to start believing they are true.

What is the number one step to self-care? Combining positive self-talk with self-affirmations! It is important to remind yourself on a daily basis just how valuable you are.

You might want to consider writing down what you appreciate about yourself each day. Maybe start a gratitude journal!

How Taking Care of Your Body is Self-Care

Did you know that the foods we eat have a large impact on how we age? You can take care of your body by limiting the amount of alcohol you drink.

Also, eating a lot of processed or fast foods regularly is going to cause any number of health problems. As well this type of eating can lead to being overweight.

One way to practice self-care each day is to use mindfulness when you eat.

It is very important to be cognizant of making good choices each day that will benefit you in the long run and result in you being able to defy aging with self-care.

Another way to take care of your body is to make sure you get enough exercise each week.

Yoko Ono, who is 88 years old had this to say:

There is no reason why you can’t have some fun when it comes to physical self-care. You can go to a spa and enjoy a relaxing massage. Or you can take a bubby bath in the privacy of your home.

There are many ways to do self-care. Enjoy a weekly face mask, give yourself a manicure and a pedicure, have a nap, or go for a walk in nature.

All of these experiences can offer you time to relax and let go of some stress.

Clothing Can be Self-Care

You don’t have to spend a fortune on design clothes to look good. Just dress for your age, the type of body you have, and your activities.

When we look good, we feel good about ourselves.

As well you don’t have to spend hours getting dressed.

Just make sure you are neat, clean, and presentable which can do wonders for our self-confidence.

Final Thoughts

There is really no mystery when it comes to feeling youthful. In fact, we have the solutions to being young through our actions.

When we participate in self-care on a regular basis, our age will be nothing but a number, because we will have been able to defy aging with self-care.

Exercise to Defy Aging

Everyone wants to look and feel more youthful as they age but there is an important step in doing so. That step is exercise. That is because exercise has many benefits that can completely change a person’s life.

Our bodies were not meant to be sedentary and getting up and being active is essential to good health, overall well-being, and is another way to defy aging.

Some benefits of exercising are:

• You will have an increase in energy.
• You will be able to develop a healthy heart, mind, and body.
• Your overall appearance will improve, and
• There will be less stress in your life.

Increasing Energy For Longer Lasting Productivity

According to sports specialist Robert Gotlin, (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine):

In fact, exercise increases energy in both the mind and body for longer-lasting productivity. Energy keeps us going and it can really help to improve every aspect of life.

Exercise Means Being Strong and Able

Overall, exercising on a regular basis makes us feel strong and able, both physically and mentally. This is mainly because exercise is a challenge.

As a result, those feelings can be of great service as we age.

Exercise for a Healthy Heart, Mind, and Body

Heart – The American Heart Association has recommended that we exercise at least five days a week for at least thirty minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise.

Cardiovascular health is important for being able to have a long life. Our hearts are a vital organ and a muscle that needs to be exercised too.

Mind – Cardiovascular exercise not only benefits the heart but the mind as well.

When our bodies release endorphins which are hormones that are secreted in the brain and nervous system that results in physiological effects.

The result is a euphoric feeling of well-being! Exercise is a great benefit as it has been proven to relieve anxiety and depression.

Body – Research at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas has found that you can add at least six years to your life if you do thirty minutes of cardio three to five days a week.

Other benefits of exercise are that you will have stronger lungs, be able to lose some fat, and even lower risks for cancers, and other diseases.

You Will Look Better

No one has ever said they didn’t want to look better! We are all striving to improve our appearance. In fact, even those who do not put in any effort want to look better physically.

We all want a flatter stomach, bigger muscles, more energy, have better-looking skin. These are most definitely bonuses for getting fit and active!

A 2013 issue of the Journal of Health Psychology stated:

It is important to note, that once again the benefits to exercise are limitless.

You can get into shape starting today. Just pick up some weights if you want to see improvement in the mirror and your mind!

You Can Relieve Stress!

Stress is so plentiful these days. In fact, if we don’t take time for ourselves, we can really wear ourselves out, and exercise is a great stress reliever.

Of course, lifestyle changes are important for stress relief as well.

So, make sure to manage those things that cause unneeded stress.

When combined with exercise, you will have a recipe for better health.

How Well Will You Age?

Do you want to defy the process of aging? Now that you know exercise is crucial to decelerating the process you will need to take action daily.

Jump on the treadmill, join the gym, or go for a daily jog or walk! Anything that gets your blood flowing is sufficient exercise.

You can relieve daily stresses, prevent illnesses, increase energy and improve your physique all in one with exercise!

Whatever you do, never quit because you can have the life of your dreams and your health is an essential part of defying aging.

I’m sure you want to be around for a long long time so that you can share special moments and experiences with the people you love!

A Self-Care Action Plan Video:

Here is the link to the book mentioned in the video: Codependent No More!

Final Thoughts!

There are many different things we can do to defy aging. We can defy aging with self-care and we can defy aging with exercise.

It is important to take some time each day to find some ways to fit this into your life.

You will find you love life more, will look better, have more energy, and have the ability to enjoy your life long into your senior years!

The post Defy Aging with Self-Care appeared first on Create the Best Life.

Leading up to the years before your retirement, you may have had little to worry about when it came to remaining healthy by getting in exercise, eating healthy, and leading a productive life.

However, the years following retirement are a different story. Why?

For one, you have likely settled down quite a bit. The hustle and bustle of working on a schedule may have subsided, leaving lots of time and inactivity at hand.

As such, it is important for you to actively seek out ways to maintain your vitality and overall health.

Here are the top ten tips for health and vitality in retirement:

Pick Up A Hobby You Enjoy

When we are busy with our working life, hobbies can seem like a major waste of time.

However, when we are retired, hobbies can make the difference between becoming depressed, and remaining an outgoing person.

You need to do something for yourself, that makes you feel satisfied and even gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Keep your mind active

When we physically or mentally do not feel our best, it is harder to focus and commit to hobbies.

By distracting our mindset with activities, we are fond of, it then becomes easier and more enjoyable to be active.

Make Sure to Walk Often

Walking is important throughout life, but even more so as we approach and enter senior years. Why?

Because the way walking has evolved, it helps keep the blood pumping, as it should be, as well as being an effective form of cardiovascular exercise.

Walk every day it is possible; you do not need to drive or take a bus when going short distances.

Research has shown that older adults need about 7,500 steps per day, at least three times per week.

By physically engaging in activities, not only does it help with better health, but has shown that it aids with balance and encourages fewer falls.

Swimming is a Great Exercise

If you don’t feel up to joining a gym to keep you healthy, swimming is the perfect alternative. Swimming is an extremely effective total body workout.

In fact, improving both the heart (aerobic system) and muscle (anaerobic system).

You are bound to feel a little sore after a swimming session, especially if you haven’t done any for some time.

This is exactly what is necessary to keep your muscles and heart fit.

Eat Lightly As The Day Progresses

Changes to your metabolic system will occur as we age.

This makes your body less efficient at processing sugars and meals with a lot of fat.

For this reason, it is a good rule of thumb to eat your largest meals early in the day and progressively eat lighter as the day goes on.

A light tuna salad is perfect for dinner, as the protein helps fuel muscle, and vegetables satisfy hunger.

Be Sure To Get Your Daily Recommendation of Fruits And Vegetables

Cancer is a growing public health concern, compounded in large part by poor eating habits.

It has been established time and again that the best way to reduce your risk is to ensure you consume enough fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.

Fruits and vegetables contain a diverse range of phytonutrients. They can prevent abnormal oxidation and inflammatory processes.

As well phytonutrients ensure efficient removal of toxins from the body.

Enjoy Good Times With Family and Friends

Enjoying our life is priceless. This is more important after we hit retirement.

It’s important to help keep you feeling like a valued member of the family and your friend’s circle.

No one wants to feel like an outcast who has outlived their usefulness.

Our friends and family are perfect for reinforcing your worth and mental well-being.

They are also a good way to enjoy good health and vitality in retirement!

Eat Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate has proven itself to be a treat worth eating.

In fact, dark chocolate contains potent polyphenols that slow down the aging process and many age-related disorders.

Dark chocolate can keep your blood flowing better, reduce atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels, improve mood, and have many more benefits.

Offer Voluntary Advice To Youth

Young people need guidance during their formative years in order to become productive members of society.

Though not everyone is an academic, you could possibly impart your skills to young people.

You could teach lessons on carpentry, housekeeping, financial planning, or even cooking, which can contribute to fulfilling adult lives.

Sleep In Sometimes

With no pressing need to be at work at 8:00 am in the morning, it is ok to sleep in sometimes.

It is important to get as much sleep as possible as we age and sleeping in if you think your body needs it can be a treat.

An aging body may have reduced recuperative abilities, and sleep lets your body and brain repair, restore, and reenergize.

The average aging adult needs between seven to eight hours of rest per night.

If you are finding that you are sleeping more often or longer than normal, let your doctor know as this could be a side effect of medications or other health issues.

Remember to keep your bedroom dark and at cooler temperatures. As Leonardo da Vinci eloquently said, “A well-spent day brings happy sleep.”

Have Sex!

Sex keeps you young, both physically and mentally. Sex can be considered an aerobic workout.

When we have sex our heart needs to keep up with the increased demand for blood during sex.

The endorphins released during sex also promote bonding and happiness.

Stay Up To Date With Your Doctor

As we age, almost inevitably medication goes right along with it.

Blood pressure, diabetes, or even arthritis is often prescribed to older adults.

Unfortunately, these medications can have side effects that are not healthy.

They can affect sleep, moods, and energy.

If you experience symptoms that do not seem right, call your doctor.

Often, changing to a different brand can be beneficial and allow the medication to work properly.

Final Thoughts

As we get older, our minds and bodies will follow suit. Perhaps your body is showing signs of aching more often.

Maybe your memory seems to be not as sharp when trying to remember information.

Statista.com reported that as of 2019, approximately 16.5 percent of the American population is over the age of 65 years old.

Predictions show that as of 2050, this number will increase to 22 percent by the year 2050.

Though these numbers seem low, comparing them to other population counts that were conducted in 1950, only 8 percent of Americans were over the age of 65 years old.

With this amount of senior population, it is certain that older generations are feeling more pressure to stay active and alert, not only personally but in their communities.

Just because we are aging doesn’t mean we can’t keep our mind and body feeling their best.

In fact, you can live your best life so there is no reason not to have health and vitality in retirement!

The Formula for Successful Aging Video:

The post Tips For Health And Vitality In Retirement appeared first on Create the Best Life.

Yes, growing old is unavoidable. However, we don’t need to look or feel old as we age.

There are a number of steps we can take these days that make it easier to look and feel younger.

You can grow old gracefully if you use a proactive approach. One way is to find ways to prevent inflammation and disease in the body.

Here is a list of several ways that you can resist the aging process and add more life to your years!

Find Time to Exercise

It is important to find time to exercise. When we exercise we can improve our balance and flexibility. It is also a good way to keep fit and trim.

Exercising will help to reduce stress, strengthen the cardiovascular system, improve posture as well as improve digestion. It also can help to slow down bone loss.

According to Bob Green who is a trainer, as well as an author of the book 20 Years Younger, “When done properly, weight-training makes micro-tears in the muscles, which leads your body to generate thicker, stronger muscle fiber.”

Another good thing about weight training is it is a good way to improve stamina. It also can make you less vulnerable to possible injuries.

Weight training is good for boosting metabolism and building muscles. All it takes is using some lightweight dumbells and doing exercises such as squats, bicep curls, calf raises, and lunges.

Just do three sets of ten repetitions at least three times a week.

Senior – 30 Minute Weight Training with Dumbbells Video:

The Brain Needs a Workout Too!

Yes, your brain needs a workout! By stimulating the brain you will be able to stay focused, your concentration will increase and your memory will be good.

While dementia and Alzheimer’s may be genetic, our lifestyle habits can have an impact on the health of our brain cells.

Here are some suggestions for keeping your brain in good shape:

• Read books regularly.
• Work on puzzles such as crosswords, sudoku, or even jigsaw puzzles.
• Don’t play a musical instrument,  why not start to learn one?
• Never learned a foreign language? It’s never too late to learn.
• Attend the theatre or concerts regularly.
• Play games with friends like scrabble.

Take Care of Your Relationships

One of the most important aspects of how to resist the aging process is by having strong social connections and relationships.

In fact, an eighty-year-old Harvard study found that having good relationships was a better predictor of an increased life span and good health than other factors.

They found that this could reduce stress which results in a boost to the immune system and reduction of potential heart disease.

They also found it was how satisfying people’s relationships are rather than cholesterol levels that predict the quality of our health as we age.

Also, they found that people who were the most content with their relationships at age fifty were the healthiest at age eighty.

Eat Right and Stay Hydrated

Making sure that we eat right and as well stay hydrated is very important. In fact, the Harvard School of Public Health reports that our cells are threatened daily by free radicals.

These free radicals are the byproduct of how our body turns food into energy.

We also get free radicals entering our body from our environment which also damages the cells.

Unfortunately, this damage results in a structural change to our cell’s DNA. We can defend the body against free radicals by the use of antioxidants.

Antioxidants can be found in fresh vegetables and fruit. Another important factor is incorporating fiber into the diet.

Fiber is important for fighting chronic disease and a good way to resist the aging process.

As well fiber keeps blood sugar and cholesterol levels in check. Another plus in taking in fiber is that it fills you up.

Fiber will also slow down the digestive process. This means that you will consume fewer calories each day.

It is also a good idea to reduce the amount of sugar you take in. You will find that you will have more energy and inflammation will be reduced.

It is important to avoid at all costs the use of processed sugars. The problem is that most high-fat and processed foods contain a lot of processed sugars.

You will also want to avoid soda as it contains phosphoric acid that can cause muscle loss as well as osteoporosis and heart and kidney issues.

In order to stay properly hydrated you will want to drink ample quantities of water each day. Water helps to enhance blood flow to the skin’s surface.

It also can help to improve circulation, boost brain function and increase energy. It is recommended that we drink at least eight glasses of eight ounces of water a day.

Dr. Henry Lodge, co-author of Younger Next Year for Women, recommended “Start every meal with a fruit or vegetable and a tall glass of water. Loading up on the vitamins and antioxidants in fruits and veggies will make you feel refreshed, recharged, and reenergized.”

Make Sure to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Dr. Henry Lodge also recommends getting a proper amount of sleep. He has stated that “the only time your body can truly restore itself is when you’re asleep. It helps build a more vibrant body and brain.”

Experts tend to agree that having eight hours of sleep is needed to repair any organ damage as well as regenerate new cells.

However, the exact number of hours each person needs can differ from person to person.

In order to give your body the quality sleep it needs, you may want to set up a goal and a plan. This will help to maintain good mental and physical health.

Find Ways to Reduce Stress

We all know how stress can age-related psychological disorder which causes a reduction in the way the immune system functions. Stress can also lead to cardiovascular diseases.

Making time to schedule a few minutes a day to alleviate stress is a good idea. Just pick somewhere that is quiet and start breathing deeply.

Focus on the present moment! This is the best medicate and will impact how well you look and feel and helps to resist the aging process.

Here is a list of a few ways to relieve stress and even calm the mind and body:

Try mindful meditation. This is a good practice since mediation is a great way to reduce anxiety and depression.

Mindful meditation can result in more energy, a better posture as well as an improved mood, and increased flexibility.

10 Minute Mindfulness Meditation Video:

Another great way to reduce stress is to practice yoga. This type of exercise helps to oxygenate cells and gets rid of harmful toxins in the body.

In fact, yoga poses have been designed to work both inside and outside the body.

Yoga is a great way to boost the immune system and even helps to revive all the physiological systems in the body. This can protect us from many diseases.

Yoga also helps to keep the joints flexible and our muscles strong.

Get Rid of Bad Habits

Getting rid of bad habits such as smoking is a good idea. In fact, smoking can cause all sorts of age-related diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis, and even hardening of the arteries.

If you want to create the best life for yourself, you need to get rid of habits that aren’t serving you.

Any number of bad habits can result in the speeding up of aging and can have a detrimental effect on our teeth and especially our skin.

When it comes to drinking alcohol, one drink per day for women and two for men is just enough to reap its benefits.

However, overindulging in alcohol leads to premature aging from the inside out. In fact, it negatively impacts every single physiological system in the body.

Final Thoughts

While dealing with aging is never easy, it is inevitable, and the better we handle aging, the happier and healthier we will be.

When we are healthy and happy we have a better chance of being able to resist the aging process!

The post Steps To Resist The Aging Process appeared first on Create the Best Life.

One of the most sought-after circumstances that most seniors are looking for is having energy, vitality in both mental and physical ways, and that feeling of being youthful. This may be hard to hold on to as we age but it is not impossible.

By introducing some healthy and positive habits into your regular routine, you can start having more energy. You can start feeling younger in no time.

Maintaining both a physically and socially active lifestyle can greatly improve your overall quality of life during your golden years, making them truly golden.

Through this article, we will offer some tips and habits to get you feeling younger and having more energy.

Getting Quality Sleep

Let’s start with the most fundamentally important area where you can introduce new habits to improve your vitality.

People require approximately seven hours of sleep each night. It is a common misconception to think that those who are older require less sleep.

Despite age, every human needs at least seven hours of restful sleep to function optimally.

Making sure you are getting the ideal quality and quantity of sleep is integral in having more energy. You just might find that you are feeling younger.

This can be done by introducing and maintaining the following healthy sleep habits:

• Go to bed at the same time every night. Introducing this habit conditions your body to have a bedtime. Once you’ve maintained this habit for a little while, you will notice that you’ll start to get tired around that time every night, helping ensure you get right to sleep.
• Don’t eat late at night. Eating late-night snacks or having a large dinner later in the evening is not only bad for digestion, but it’s bad for your sleep. Having an earlier dinner and refraining from snacking late at night can help ensure you have a restful sleep.
• Don’t participate in any activity involving a screen within an hour before bed. Our society’s current dependency on technology is hurting our sleep. Staring at bright screens before bed can make it harder to fall asleep, achieve fully restful sleep, and harder to stay asleep. Activities to avoid within an hour before going to bed are watching television, playing video games, browsing on a computer or phone, etc.
• Don’t do anything but sleep in your bed. Doing pretty much anything other than sleeping in your bed can make it harder for you to follow asleep at night. This includes watching television and even reading. Just like going to bed at the same time every night can condition your body to get tired at that time each day, having a designated sleeping spot will condition your body to grow tired once you’re in the bed.
• Silence your technology. Making sure the notification sounds are turned off on all your devices before going to bed will ensure that you don’t have any disruptions during your sleep cycle, thus ensuring a more restful sleep.

Healthy Eating

You may not believe eating can have any effect on feeling youthful and energetic, but it can be a very important part of it.

Food is your energy source, your fuel. It stands to reason that taking in the wrong fuel would lead to less than optimal results in terms of functionality and energy.

The food you eat can affect your entire day and your overall health. It can make you sluggish or energetic, can cause your joints to swell or ache.

As well it can cause muscle pain and stiffness. As you can imagine, this can lead to a person feeling older and less energetic.

Eating healthy foods and avoiding excess carbs and fats can help ensure your body is functioning at its optimal capability.

Habits That Can Ruin Your Aging Years

Yes, aging is inevitable. However, there are habits that can accelerate the process and there are habits that can decelerate the process as well.

Our bodies will function better when we maintain them properly.

What this means is that when we develop good habits we are able to slow down the aging process.

Here are four habits that can keep us healthier and happier about aging.

Dealing with Your Stress

Stress is definitely a cause of inflammation in the body and when we are dealing with chronic stress the stress hormones are causing all sorts of detrimental consequences on one’s health.

One way to reduce the amount of stress we have is to find a way to say “no” more often. Remembering that life is short and we should be enjoying our life and not having to deal with stress.

The chief medical officer at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California, Dr. Raymond Casciari says that people think multitasking is a good thing, but you don’t actually get anything done, you just end up creating more stress.

It is a good idea to find ways to manage stress and not neglect it.

Here are some solutions for managing stress:

• Learn to say no more often.
• Learn to focus on fewer things at one time – no more multitasking.
• If possible you can eliminate the things that cause you stress.

Dealing with Isolation

One of the researchers in the eighty-year-old Harvard Study Of Adult Development, Robert Waldinger, says, “Loneliness kills. It’s as powerful as smoking or alcoholism.”

In fact, this study as well as many other studies found that healthy relationships and strong social bonds can improve aging on all levels.

This includes your emotional, physical, and mental health.

It also includes your cardiovascular and brain health.

As a matter of fact, Harvard’s study found that those with strong relationships lived longer than those who had weak social relationships.

It also found that marriage increases life expectancy. The study showed that people who have happy relationships have reduced stress.

All of this is a great way to reduce the risk of heart disease, improving the function of the digestive system, and even boosting the immune system.

Taking Care Of Your Skin

An associate professor of dermatology at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Dr. Sarah L. Taylor, said that “The number-one cause of nearly every sign of premature aging on the human face is ultraviolet exposure.”

That is a problem as there are millions of people that don’t use any protection from the sun.

The fact that we are exposed to harmful rays from the sun even when it is cloudy so don’t think that it is only when the sun is out.

What is the best way to prevent damage to the skin by the sun?

• One of the best ways is to use a sunblock that is between 30 and 50 SPF.
• Another way is to wear clothing or use a protective shade to avoid too much exposure to the sun.
• As well make sure your skincare routine is a habit for the rest of your life!

Get Some Exercise!

There are numerous benefits to exercising regularly. In fact, one is the reversal of premature aging.

It has been proven that sitting too much can cause all sorts of health problems. Those problems include diabetes, obesity, and perhaps even early death.

The fact that technology has taken over so many things we do in life, is a big reason for how little activity we do each day.

A study that was performed at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine by Dr. Aladdin Shadyab, found that a sedentary lifestyle especially in senior women found that cells age faster with a sedentary lifestyle. “Chronological age doesn’t always match biological age.”

So next time you find yourself sitting for long periods of time, try to remember that you are not helping your short or even your long-term health.

Here Are Some Ways To Combat Being Too Sedentary:

• Join a gym and find a way to hold yourself accountable either by hiring a coach or going with a friend.
• Find hobbies and interests that involve being more active.
• Join a group or get your friends involved that are active.

Make Sure You Have Good Nutrition

One of the worse things you can do for your health is not eating good, healthy food. Poor nutrition is really not good for our bodies.

Unhealthy food including beverages contain toxins from chemicals and is a recipe for disaster.

Yes, a lot of these unhealthy foods may taste great, but having them all the time is not going to give you energy or make you feel healthy.

Foods that contain a lot of sugar and fat contribute to aging.

As well drinking too much alcohol or eating processed foods is not going to give you the health you want in your senior years.

How to Look 10 Years Younger – Anti-aging Hacks Video:

Final thoughts:

Making a few choices can lead to feeling younger with more energy as well.

You don’t have to completely change your habits, just make a few adjustments.

When you make the choice to live your best life you will not only be happier but maybe just live a little longer!

The post Feeling Younger with More Energy appeared first on Create the Best Life.

There is a saying that I love: “Getting old ain’t for the faint of heart” by Anthony Hopkins.

We all agree that getting older is not easy and that is especially true when we start noticing aches and pains and wrinkles.

However, just because we are getting older doesn’t mean we have to feel old. I’ve seen seventy-year-olds who don’t seem to know they have aged and I have seen forty-year-olds acting like they are ninety!

Yes, we may feel old and some days we probably feel it more, but we don’t have to feel old as there are ways to combat that feeling.

We can stop feeling old with a few simple, healthy and positive things that we can do each day so that we can enjoy a life of vitality and energy and experience positive health.

Some of these habits may require a bit more work while others are as simple as having a positive outlook.

As well some of these habits can help to preserve your mental and physical well-being long into your senior years. They can help to reduce the possibility of depression or feeling lonely.

Listed below are some of the ways you can add some simple steps into your daily routine to stop feeling old and feeling young and vibrant instead.

Staying Active

There are a number of studies that show that by staying as active as possible into your older years, you can improve or maintain your mental and physical abilities. By doing this you will feel younger.

Even children can experience improvement in their lives when they increase physical activity.

Another important habit is to make sure your joints and muscles are strong. This will help to minimize any pain or swelling and actually will help to delay any age-related disabilities.

Maintain an Active Social Life

When you maintain an active social life you will feel less secluded and stave off depression. An active social life is a great way to keep the mind healthy as well.

As a result, you feel younger and be able to stay up with the many changes life has to offer.

Maintaining friendships over the years is a wonderful and beneficial action as we get older.

Of course, as we get older we will all face the problem of losing friends and family members due to old age. One way around this is to make sure that you have friends in different age groups.

Not only will younger friends be around a lot longer so you can enjoy their company, but they can also give you different perspectives on life in general!

Even though the last year or so we have had to curtail our social gatherings, there are many ways to still stay close to friends and family members.

Technology has been an important part of being together. This includes everything from Zoom calls to SnapChat and more.

Maintaining a Healthy Diet

One of the easiest ways to feel younger longer is to make sure you are eating healthy foods daily.

Eating foods that will reduce your energy and physical health is going to make us feel older and energy will be lacking.

Foods with high sugar and fat content tend to weigh us down in more ways than one. Too much of these foods can make joints stiff and sore and increase pain.

You will want to eat foods that are going boost your energy and make us feel better about life in general.

Keeping an Active Brain

Brain health is so important as we age and there are many ways you can exercise the brain. Regular reading, doing crossword puzzles, or even playing memory games are good ways to do just that.

A couple of other ways to keep an active brain is to take regular exercise. Getting plenty of good quality sleep is also important for brain health.

If you love music or have always wanted to learn to play an instrument, this might be a good time to start as this will also help to keep the brain healthy.

Don’t Forget to Have Fun!

Yes, having fun is a great way to stay young! You can take part in all sorts of fun activities. Invite friends or family members to join you on your fun quest.

If you enjoy fun activities you are more likely to add them into your life on a regular basis.

Don’t Stop Working

Although retirement can be nice, it can also leave a big gaping hole in your life. Having a purpose has been attributed to having a satisfying life.

If you don’t want to continue working you can always volunteer. There are many opportunities for volunteers whether it is at a non-profit or your church.

Volunteering is a way to stay busy and be active in your life.

Conclusion

Of course, getting older is not a lot of fun. But when you add a few habits into your life you can minimize any negative effects. You may actually enjoy your life even more!

To stay active and fulfilled long into your senior years, stay active, exercise your brain and make sure you eat healthy and delicious food.

When you have a fulfilled life you won’t notice that you are aging as much.

By maintaining a physical, mental, and socially active life long into your senior years you will be able to stop or reduce the symptoms of depression, have increased energy, improve and maintain your memory.

When you put these ideas into practice you will find you stop feeling old.

As a result, the gift you will give yourself is a renewed sense of vitality and you get to create the life you deserve.

Meet The ‘Super-Agers’ Who Defy The Effects Of Old Age Video:

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