As we age and reach menopause our skin starts changing drastically. We notice a few lines here and there. Maybe some sinking of areas formerly full of youthful fat and collagen, depending upon our genetics our eyes might look a little less awake, and over all our skin is less tight. That doesn’t mean you can’t do something naturally to make your skin, at any age, look youthful and more importantly feel wonderful.
Avoid Stress – Finding a way to keep stress levels down will do wonders for your skin. When you feel your stress-level going up try to practice taking a deep breath, and counting to ten. Taking deep even breaths, through your nose and out your mouth will help a lot. Practice prayer and / or daily meditation and you will find that stress drops out of sight.
Exercise – Daily exercise is essential for good health, keeping the joints moving easily, as well as moving vital oxygen through your bloodstream. Your skin will react favorably to daily exercise that brings in a lot of oxygen as well as other types of exercises that increase vitality.
Eat Right – Like with any type of health issue, eating right is at the forefront and likely one of the most important aspects of keeping your skin healthy and youthful. If you have breakouts try eating gluten free, diet to see if that helps. If you are experiencing any type of skin issues, often time’s diet plays a huge part.
Avoid Chemicals – Skin products as well as hair products should be organic and chemical free to avoid additives that may be dangerous to your health and the youthful appearance of your skin. Hair products often get on your face and even your back (especially hairspray) and can cause unsightly breakouts and clogged pours.
Drink Water – Every day drink at least eight glasses of fresh filtered water. There is no reason to use bottled water. The tap water from your home faucet is probably better quality. Simply add a filter of some sort like a Brita filter and you have the best water anywhere.
Don’t Smoke – Probably one of the most aging things you can do is smoke. If you still smoke, you’re one of the lucky ones by still being alive. Do yourself a favor and quit smoking as soon as possible. The body is incredibly able to heal itself and the longer you go without smoking the better healed your body will become.
Avoid Drugs & Alcohol — Like smoking drugs and alcohol can be very aging. I’m not saying never have a nice glass of wine or a beer, or even a few margaritas on your birthday. However, do not make drinking or doing any type of recreational drugs a daily habit. In fact, the longer you can do without prescription drugs the more youthful you will appear. So research and consider anything that you put into your body.
At every stage of life one thing is true: You’re the one constant in your own life and the one person you can truly count on. If you don’t love yourself, then you’re in deep trouble. It’s very important to love yourself since sometimes you are all you have. So, it’s up to you! There are many ways you can show yourself some love such as:
Keep a Joy Journal — Practice finding (and experiencing) joy in everyday life. Write down three things that you enjoyed during the day before you go to bed. When you go to bed you’ll be focused on the joy you experienced during the day.
Open Your Heart — Age, experience, and life events can sometimes cause us to close our hearts. It is a shame to do that. Find a way to be childlike and open your heart. Like the song says, “Love like never loved before.” Letting go of expectations can help you open your heart.
Take a LONG Bath – If you’ve been really busy you might have forgotten how luxurious a long bath is. Go all out, light candles, have a glass of wine, put on some music, a mask on your face, cucumbers on your eyes and lay back and enjoy your alone time.
Buy Yourself Flowers – Everyone loves fresh flowers, but the sure fire way to make sure that you get the kind you like is to go buy them for yourself. Take your time in the flower shop creating just the right arrangement. Put them in a prominent place so that you can enjoy them.
Take Long Walks — Aside from the health benefit of taking long walks, reducing weight and stress, it can be very enjoyable to take a stroll that is not meant for exercise but rather just enjoying the earth and what nature provides.
Eat Healthy – It’s fine to treat yourself to something decadent once in a while but, if you were feeding your child, your mother or spouse what would you fix them to make sure they stay healthy. Create healthy and special meals even if you’re eating alone.
Throw a Party – No one around to throw you a birthday party? Well, throw one for yourself. Send out invitations and everything. There is nothing wrong with planning and throwing a party for yourself. I know one lady who actually met her new husband this way; he was the brother of someone she invited to celebrate her birthday at a local hotspot.
Get a Massage – Massage is good for you, pick someone who is certified in the kind of massage you want to get and of course pick a reputable place. Make it a regular monthly, quarterly or yearly treat, whatever you can afford.
See a Movie – Either rent a movie, or actually go to a movie that you really want to see. Go alone, get some popped corn and a drink and enjoy the movie without having to worry or concern yourself with anyone else.
Whether you have kids or fur babies, somewhere along the way you go from “Mom” to “Grandma” and it feels like it was in the blink of an eye. But, before you know it you’re there, you’re between 45 and 55 years old, some gray hair is coming in, (and hairs in places they don’t belong) and before you know it someone is referring to you as “grandma” or “granny”. How in the world did that happen?
The way I deal with this is to think about how being looked at as a grandmother is a lot better than the alternative which is: Dead.
So if you’re becoming a grandma figure in the lives of your nieces and nephews children, or are an actual grandma, take heart! There are millions of women out there who would trade places with you in a heartbeat. Being an important person in the life of a child is a special thing, and whether your flesh and blood or not, it can still be a very important relationship. If you’re the actual grandma and are feeling “old” and afraid of being seen as the “grandma” try feeling proud and excited instead.
A brand-new life is there for you to be part of molding. You’re wiser now and smarter and just plain know so much more that you can share with a young generation now. AND, no diapers, unless you want to change them!! As a “grandma” or “grandma type” you can be the person the child has some fun with. The person to go exploring with, and seeing the same old thing through the eyes of a child is very exciting and will make you feel and act younger.
If you have no children in your life at all, consider being an adoptive grandparent for a needy child. Older generations are not respected in the same way they used to be, and this is a problem with us being afraid of getting older. We need to embrace the fact that we’re getting older and better with every single day of our lives.
