7 Ways to Keep a Young Mindset No Matter Your Age
You might have heard that people who feel young, live longer lives—it’s never too late to embrace a youthful mindset. While we may be getting older each day, it doesn’t mean we ever have to grow old. Here are seven lifestyle changes to help you feel young at any age.
- Continue to learn
Learning new skills keeps the brain active, fires new connections, and provides a sense of purpose to achieve something never done before. Whether it’s juggling, ballroom dancing, learning a language, oil painting, cross word puzzles, or drafting a novel, the challenge can be stimulating mentally and physically. Not sure what to try? Find inspiration by journaling ideas for things you enjoy doing or always wanted to learn.
- Try new things
Doing something you’ve never done before can provide not only new self-perspective but also a different vision of the world around you. Visit somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. Go to the movies alone. Travel by train instead of car. Go ice-skating. Join a book club. Look at your bucket list or create one for ideas. Changing our day-to-day lives with a jolt of something different is a refreshing way to keep our minds active.
- Mindfulness and Meditation
Both of these have similar benefits that can lead to reduced stress, increased focus, and a sense of calm. Being mindful simply means to be present in the moment, aware of how you are feeling, and acting with intention. Being mindful is a way to also practice gratitude for appreciating the present. Meditation is a form of mindfulness but in a stationary state with an intense focus on a mantra or breathing to achieve a state of calm.
- Keep Physically Active
The old saying, a body in motion stays in motion, can be applied here. Performing physical activity several times a week for at least thirty minutes can provide benefits for both mind and body. Doing different activities can make it fun and fresh such as alternating days with indoor and outdoor exercise when you can such as walking, biking, aerobics, weight training, and yoga. Find the right mix for you that inspires you to keep active. We recommend you talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise program.
- Stay Connected
Research notes that strong social ties can result in longer life expectancy. Staying connected with others can help you focus on something larger than yourself and offer a sense of belonging. As humans, we were never meant to be alone and isolated. Belonging is a fundamental part of being human and we crave interaction to feel accepted and loved, and have a sense of identity. All of these benefits of surrounding yourself with people who elevate and support you, provides purpose and hope—which are key for good mental health.
- Laugh More
This may be a simple task, but laughter is known to reduce stress and boost the immune system. One way to start laughing more is to embrace a sense of humor. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Laugh at your mistakes and silliness. Laugh at the aging process. As we age we never know what to expect! Embracing the quirks of aging and laughing at them can reduce the downsides. Laughing more also draws people to you, enhancing your connections. Most importantly, adding more laughter into your life can make you feel like a kid again. A good giggle is the best medicine for feeling younger.
- Practice Gratitude
Being grateful on a daily basis will constantly enable you to see all the good in your life, rather than the bad. It will also help us to worry less and be more present in the moment. Life is about how we react to it—and reacting with gratitude improves our positive life perception. Try focusing on the good rather than the bad. When we do this we promote more good thoughts than negative, giving us a sense of hope and purpose rather than defeat. This all leads to a younger outlook on life.
Getting older in age doesn’t mean we have to become grumpier and stagnant. With changing simple lifestyle habits, you can add a positive youthful mindset to your life. Getting old and growing old are not the same thing. Which will you choose?
