How to Grow Old Gracefully: 7 Life Hacks for Better Aging

Growing old is an inevitable part of life, a journey we all embark upon. As I’ve experienced the passage of time, I’ve come to appreciate the wisdom and grace that can accompany aging. Allow me to share valuable insights and practical tips on how to grow old gracefully.

Aging doesn’t have to be synonymous with decline and despair. Instead, it can be a time of personal growth, self-discovery, and a deeper appreciation for life’s precious moments. I’ll delve into the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of aging, offering guidance on how to maintain your health, cultivate a positive mindset, and find fulfillment in your later years.

Whether you’re in the prime of your life or well into your senior years, the principles of graceful aging are relevant to everyone. Join me on this journey as we explore the art of aging with dignity, resilience, and a sense of purpose.

7 life hacks for aging gracefully. Learn the tricks and tips to aging beautifully.

I love to read stories about badass women aging gracefully, beautifully, and with a love for life that is so robust and thrilling. It makes me look forward to growing older because some older ladies seem to be having all the fun.

They seem to have life figured out and yet I know that what they have is a better mindset and outlook on life. Like I shared in this post when I hit 35, it seems as if we never really figure life out and we’re always on a path of becoming. That adventure looks delicious to me and so I’ve decided to implement them into my life now, rather than wait til later.

As I look at my mother who’s having all the fun now that all her children are grown, on their own, and doing well, I realize that the fun never stops. I think sometimes we think that life as an older person is slow and repetitious and not exciting at all. But now I know that life is what we make it.

Is “Old Age” Just A Mindset?

You run into people all the time whose chronological age makes them technically, “old age” but whose physical appearance, attitude, and posture make them seem decades younger than their birth certificate would indicate.

On the other hand, you see people who are only 40 to 50 years old who already seem ready for retirement and senescence. What makes the difference between these two classifications of people?

Many people are overlooking the power of the mind when it comes to the aging process. Those who continue to lead active lives with many social contacts and intact relationships with loved ones often carry the mindset that they are still young. They participate in sports, go dancing, eat out, and enjoy their bodies long after others have given up.

Attitude is everything when it comes to getting older. If you grew up in an era where “old age” happened when a person reached the age of 50 years, you will already feel you have arrived at old age upon your fiftieth birthday.

You tend to turn down opportunities for physical and social activity, increase the times you are sedentary, and stop challenging your cognitive mind. When this happens, you truly do lose what you don’t use and you physically and emotionally age much faster than those who maintain physical, cognitive, and social activities well into the age where many others feel just too old to participate in these activities.

I know my love of music and dancing will not allow me to slow down and live a sedentary life, turning down social invitations, any time soon. My mother loves to get out and throw down and that will be me too.

If you’re already there, how do you get into the mindset of feeling young again?

How to Grow Old Gracefully: 7 Life Hacks for Better Aging

How to Grow Old Gracefully

It’s probably never too late to do this. You first need to recognize that age is just a number and that there are people much older than you who are doing things you may consider “too old” for them without difficulty. There are old people graduating college, mastering yoga, traveling the world, and running marathons.

These are people who have refused to give in to the meaning of the calendar and who continue to participate in youthful activities, bearing in mind that taking care of their bodies takes precedence over everything else. They are mentally alert, curious about life, and haven’t given up trying new things.

Compare these people with those who chronically complain about aches and pains, step back from fun and challenging activities, and prefer being sedentary to being more active.

These might be people who decide that they are too old to give up bad habits that contribute to the aging process, such as smoking and drinking alcohol, and have given up the meticulous care of their bodies that it takes to look and feel young.

What kind of person do you want to be?

The difference truly is in your mindset. If you decide that your body is a temple and continue to care for it, challenge it, and respect it, you will have no difficulty seeing yourself as young and vibrant.

Your risk of stressful life diseases will be less and you will feel less stressed in life when you carry yourself better and think of yourself as younger than your chronological age. If instead you dread your birthdays and see the passing of the years as a year closer to death, your motivation and determination to feel and look young will be diminished and you will reflect that mindset in the way you present yourself to others.

If your ancestors lived long and healthy lives, take solace in knowing that you probably will, too, and you can carry the mindset of youth throughout your middle-aged years and older years.

Even if your ancestors did not live long and healthy lives, know that medical advances that focus on the prevention and management of chronic diseases are on your side so that you can continue to feel and be young—well into your older years.

Never forget that age is just a number, and it does not dictate, “how one should feel” or “how one should act” at 50, 60, or even 90.

Here are some actionable tips to get you going.

Life Hacks For Better Aging

As we age, we look for things we can do to prevent wrinkles, diseases, and cognitive function. The good news is that there are hundreds of things that can be done to help you age in the best way possible. Here we are going to look at 7 life hacks you can apply to your life today to help you age better.

How to Grow Old Gracefully

1. Invest In Large Sunglasses

I bet you didn’t expect this on my list. You see, the skin around your eyes is the most delicate and thin skin on your body. It’s also the place where wrinkles tend to appear first. By wearing oversized sunglasses, you are preventing sun damage from occurring around your eyes and you are also reducing how much you are squinting. This means you will have fewer eye wrinkles as well as fewer forehead wrinkles.

Of course, you will want to take care of your skin too and you can do that by investing in a good skin care regimen like this one.

2. Make Time For Your Friends

Oftentimes we find our schedules to be so hectic that we neglect to make time for a social life. However, having a social life can help you age better in many ways. The biggest thing making time for friends will accomplish is lowering your stress level.

Studies have shown that being stressed out damages your skin cells, which leads to premature lines. Stress can also lower your immune system leading you to a more likely chance of becoming ill. As a bonus, making time for your friends also means that you are more active both physically and mentally.

3. Stay Active

It’s no secret that as you age your metabolism slows down. Getting at least thirty minutes of activity, a day both increases your metabolism but can also help to increase bone density putting you at a lower risk of bone injuries as you age.

4. Take Fish Oil Regularly

Fish oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids. A study done by Ohio State University shows can help everything from your joints, eyesight, and hair growth to making your skin look supple and improving your heart and immune functions. Grab a good quality fish oil here. If fish oil isn’t for you, you can also increase your intake of seeds, nuts, sardines, or salmon.

5. Keep Your Diet Colorful

We know there are some foods out there that speed up the aging process. What many people aren’t aware of, is that there are also some foods out there that can do the opposite. Foods like kale, broccoli, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, and plums are all rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can promote healthy aging.

Some of these nutrients include alpha lipoic acid, carotenoids (including vitamin A, ß-carotene, lycopene, astaxanthin, and retinol), CoQ10, glutathione, polyphenols, and vitamins C, D, and E. Try my colorful summer salad with kale as a base. You can build on it with your favorite proteins and toppings.

For comprehensive nutrition, integrating a high-quality multivitamin into your daily routine, such as those offered by WOWMD, can support vitality as you age. Multivitamins help fill potential nutritional gaps that may arise with age, enhancing overall well-being.

how to grow old gracefully
My Mom and her friends, proud members of the Fifty Fine Club of Expats in Merida Mexico

6. Change Your Opinion Of Old

There is no formal definition of what old means. The word can have many different meanings depending on the context. Don’t degrade yourself by talking about your “senior moments” or the things you can no longer do. Instead, celebrate all the things you can. Keeping a gratitude journal is an excellent way to begin changing your mindset about growing old.

Having a positive attitude and a good mental outlook is half the battle. When you tell yourself that you are old and can’t do things, it becomes the truth. Instead, focus on all the things you can do and remember, that age is just a number.

7. Meditate More

Meditation is one of the very best ways to reduce stress.  Stress is linked to a whole host of health issues and according to the Benson-Henry Institute, 60 to 90% of doctor visits are for stress-related conditions. Harvard University researchers conducted a study that connects deep relaxation to genetic changes in the body.

They found that “disease-fighting genes” are more active in people who regularly practice meditation, compared with people in the control group.

All it takes is 15 minutes a day where you sit in a comfortable position and focus on your breath. Check out this excellent guide on meditating for more information. It’s free with a Kinde Unlimited subscription which is how I feed my mind with endless books for less than 10 bucks a month.

Heath is cumulative. In today’s busy society, we tend to forget to take care of ourselves because we are so busy taking care of everyone else. Make yourself a priority and begin implementing even just one of the above suggestions for now.

By implementing the suggestions above and sticking to them, they will become part of your normal routine. Take care of yourself now so you can ensure that you will age in a positive way and live a life with no regrets.

Some images from Depositphotos. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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3 Comments

  1. Great Post! It’s all about the Mindset. If you act older you tend to live a “woulda shoulda” lifestyle filled with regrets. Not Me. My only regret is that I lost some friendships along the way to retirement, that was out of my no control. But, I love my 66 yr old body and live a life of gratitude. For me, only the Best will do. . .
    http://www.madamtoomuch.com

  2. Numbers say I am 74, don’t look it, don’t feel, don’t act it. My mother said, never say you are old, you don’t want to program your brain that way.
    Deepak Chopra has some great books on ageing and health, on how to program your mind body to stay health and happy.
    Don’t ever give up on life and keep learning new things