By Justine Corry…..

Aging is a natural and inevitable process. It brings the body changes that are often undesirable. It doesn’t mean, however, that you should resign yourself to looking old and tired. You can choose to age gracefully and continue looking great past your supposed prime.

It’s All About Habits

There are other factors such as environment and genes that figure in aging, but looking good after a certain age can mainly be put down to the lifestyle choices you make, especially those related to self-care.

You’ll never look 18 again, but you don’t really want to look older than your true age; in fact, you’d want to look younger than your age if that were possible — even in your forties and beyond.

But there’s incomparable beauty that comes with maturity. There are no shortcuts to it either.  Ideally, you would be able to set the attractive gravity the years gave you with grace, poise and good health. Most importantly, you also would have the support and tools to strengthen your self-compassion.

You can look and feel great no matter your age as long as you adopt the right habits and a positive mindset. Here are some practices that you should include in your routine.

1. Exercise

Get your heart pumping, your blood circulating, and your muscles moving. Exercise is essential to good health, while good health is essential to natural beauty. This way, you’ll retain a nice, healthy color, and your muscles will remain toned.

2. Diet

Your metabolism slows down as you get older, so you’ll have to start making smarter choices about your food consumption. Your body is also more worn, more loaded down with toxic baggage, so make sure that you not only keep it at an appropriate weight but that you also regularly cleanse it with healthy, natural foods.

Keep in mind that sugar can be fattening and that salt can bloat you. Minimize the presence of these two in your daily diet.

3. Hydration

Regularly hydrating with water is essential to looking fresh and youthful. Not only do you need to moisturize the outer portion of the body, but the inside as well. Water is necessary for your body’s working parts to function. It is also helpful in detoxifying your system, which reflects on your exterior, the color, and elasticity of your skin, the glow of your eyes, the bounce of your hair, etc.

4. Sleep

Make sure you get enough sleep. Your body needs it to recover from the strains of daily living. It contributes to overall health, which, as mentioned, is paramount to looking good. A good night’s rest also directly helps with some of the visible signs of aging, such as with your eyes and skin.

5. Sun

You need sunlight to activate vitamin D in your body, which is vital to health. Too much sun can have negative effects, though. So make sure that you properly shield with sunglasses for your eyes to avoid damage as well as lines around them from squinting. Apply sunscreen to protect your skin, including your lips, which are among the first parts to show aging.

Staying Current

You don’t have to copy a millennial to look fresh and young. That might actually elicit the opposite effect. There are ways to look current without your efforts backfiring.

1. Style

You can be hip without looking like you’re trying too hard. Choose which trends to follow. Teen models make outfits and hairstyles look great, but better leave those to your kids or grandkids. Look to more mature models for inspiration.

For women, makeup is also a concern. The general rule is to have a lighter hand when applying it. Again, temper your inclination to follow trends. You might be interested to attend a makeup application course to learn what would work for older women.

2. Treat

Massage, relaxing baths, exfoliation, facial cleansing — these all go a long way in making you feel good. Knowing that you’re taking the time to pamper yourself every now and then does wonders for your outlook, and your looks. Such indulgences can rejuvenate you in more ways than one.

Have the Right Attitude

One of the things that can really make you look old is stress. Unfortunately, after so many years on Earth, you would have accumulated quite a number of stressors as well as gone through many stressful situations. They take their toll on your mind and body.

It’s important to adopt a positive mindset so that life’s worries and concerns do not weigh too heavily on you. Everybody has problems; people just differ in the way they react to situations.

As you age, you’ll notice that you’ve become more introspective and reflective. If you think too much and riddle your thoughts with guilt, regrets, resentment, and other negative sentiments, you’ll develop anxiety, which will manifest in your appearance.

Keep your thoughts happy. Be grateful. These are the most powerful ingredients to looking attractive and youthful at any age. If you’ve always been inclined to be negative, it’s time for a change. Thankfully, this is usually one of the lessons taught by age and wisdom.

With inner peace and joy, you might find that you’re actually a late bloomer, looking more attractive as you age. You may even realize that you have yet to be at your most beautiful — and that’s something to look forward to.

– Justine Corry is a clinical psychologist and enjoys helping people get to the heart of what is not working in their lives. Along with Dr. Gemma Gladstone, she is co-director of the Good Mood Clinic in Sydney and has 10 years of experience within private practice.