“We are not old unless we have stopped growing mentally.” – Benjamin Franklin – words from Benjamin Franklin.

Did you know? Aging happens as a result of two things: A natural decrease in cell production, which means less collagen and elastin fibers; and external factors such as oxidative stress like UVR and pollution, which can also prematurely age our skin by breaking down its protective barrier, the acid mantle leaving you more susceptible to dryness and premature aging.

Aging has long been viewed negatively, especially by the younger generations. But age may only represent numbers on paper. They translate into infinite wisdom that we should all take advantage of because aging isn’t always bad! It’s a sign of maturity, and it’s essential to stay positive and practice self-care to age gracefully. 

Staying healthy not only affects how you feel physically. Your skin will thank you too if your mind stays happy with things like mindfulness or meditation practices which have shown mental benefits such as reducing stress levels and improving moods – sounds good, right? 

Below are some mindful and feel-good thoughts I want to share, to help you along the way. Stay young at heart with these brain and skin connection tips that will make all of your wrinkles turn into smile lines from ear to ear!

Eat foods from all food groups: Nutrients like proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and water help build vital cells, which support good things coming in and bad things going out (like toxins!)  + Less sugar: Sugar is inflammatory for the body, which can worsen your acne and cause premature aging of the skin.

… and “drink” less stress: because Chronic stress has an effect on our ability to handle acne, as well as collagen production in the body. It also contributes to neurodegeneration, which contributes to a loss of vibrancy in the skin over time. So, confront the things that bother you: Everyone has their particular’ something(s)’ that grinds their gears, but going through life with anxiety only affects YOU – whatever is bothering you becomes detrimental to overall health and wellbeing — including cardiovascular and gut health when stress levels are high — Find your someone, whether a therapist or a supportive community, to help you work through things that are holding you back.

Know your skincare ingredients:! Be sure to read the label for any unexpected or unfamiliar items – just because a beauty guru swore by that product doesn’t mean that it’s best for you! Switch to mineral makeup and skin-friendly ingredients!: Most conventional makeup products aren’t regulated like medication. Also, it pays to understand how UVR works: how learning to effectively protect yourself from damaging UV rays could help you prevent yourself from getting burned while still reaching your anti-aging goals!

Your mindset—>LOVE WHAT YOU DO SO YOU CAN DO IT OFTEN! Research shows that we’re more likely to do something if we find it fun. Recently I listened to a podcast with Seth Godin – where he talks about his latest book, THE PRACTICE (on my to-read list!), where he spoke about creativity. “It’s understood work is work. Show up even if you don’t feel like it. Hobbies can be whatever. When we do the work, we feel engaged, and that is where the flow of productivity comes from. We do the work and get the flow. Your work is too important to be left up to how you feel today – difficulty happens to all of us, and when it feels so overwhelming, your priority has to become managing yourself more than trying to avoid it.” One way to do this is to replace the BUT with AND. My world is upside down because of COVID; it’s impossible to schedule meetings. COULD BE I have to reinvent and learn to help people, but I can still find time to do things I love! AND – I am excited about this new chapter in my life where collaboration and partnership will be crucial to growth. When you feel overwhelmed and trapped in a BUT, flip it around to see what the plus side is. 

Practice finding ways to contribute is the best way to work. Participating in conversations that you enjoy, or being part of a community that relates to you, can boost your mood and motivation, which can help you feel some satisfaction about what you do. 

AND lastly, but most importantly —> Don’t gender beauty: Men can wear makeup, women can cut their hair short, and everyone is free to decide what makes them feel most beautiful – not society!   

Keep these tips in mind and go through each one to make sure you can implement them! Don’t be so hard on yourself if you feel like one of these practices is more accessible to implement than another. Stay young at heart, remember, everyone ages differently, and we are all beautiful in our own unique ways!

So, be kind to yourself along the way! You’ll see that wrinkles may not represent aging at all – they may just tell the story of who you are.

So what do you think? Are these tips an excellent start to help with your appearance and age gracefully? Let me know by leaving a comment below.

Karen xxx