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{*Did you know you can write on Elephant? Here’s how—big changes: How to Write & Make Money or at least Be of Benefit on Elephant. ~ Waylon}

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*Editor’s Note: Elephant is not your doctor or hospital. Our lawyers would say “this web site is not designed to, and should not be construed to provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, or treatment to you or any other individual, and is not intended as a substitute for medical or professional care and treatment. Always consult a health professional before trying out new home therapies or changing your diet.” But we can’t afford lawyers, and you knew all that. ~ Ed

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We do a lot of writing and talking about aging.

The billion-dollar youth industry has us believing we don’t have to age if we don’t want to—there are lotions, exercise methods, programs, cosmetic procedures, and all sorts of things we can purchase to turn back time (or make it stop).

Aging physically on the outside is one thing—but “real” aging has more to do with our insides, our spirits. We’ve heard the expressions, “age is just a number,” and “you’re only as old as you feel.” Well, my friends, both are true.

Logic (and knowledge) reaffirms the message that staying young is a battle we can’t t win. In fact, growing old is a luxury not given to all. It is possible, however, to slow its goddamn roll. There are things that age us faster than a ticking clock and we can keep the ascending years at bay by simply identifying them and making necessary changes.

When these 12 “age pushers” come calling, we can shut them down.

1. Hatred.

Hating people and things requires our energy, our daily obsession, and our time. We put a lot of focus into this negative energy and it truly weighs us down. Looking and feeling older is exacerbated by a furrowed brow and a frown. You can read more here.

2. Lack of Emotional Growth.

Not being self-reflective enough to change in any capacity brings us to a place of stagnancy. Without emotional growth, we don’t correct our behaviors or better ourselves. We don’t “open” or spread our wings—instead we shrivel up.

3. Sedentary Lifestyle.

A lack of purposeful movement affects our bones, muscles, blood flow, and our entire physical system. Too much can put significant stress on our spinal structures.

4. Alcohol and smoking.

How many of us could stand to drink a little less?  Cocktails can be fun and social, but alcohol is not something our bodies were meant to process. Seems counterproductive to drink alcohol as it is a depressant. If partaking, moderation is key. Same goes for smoking. Gross. When we reduce or eliminate our poisonous vices (all of them), we show maturity (emotional growth), which keeps us younger physically and mentally!

5. Lack of Connection.

So many of us build walls and little isolated cocoons around ourselves. We get tired of the small talk and like our “alone” time.  Too much alone time leads to a lack of connection with others and that is detrimental to our health. It ages us too. Studies show that people who have more social connections live longer.

6. Joylessness.

Lack of joy and humor add weight to the living equation. Laughter keeps us young and aids in our connections with other people. You can read some of the benefits of laughter: here.

7. Fear of Failure.

Those of us who don’t pivot or take chances live in the land of “what if.” What if I had gone back to school, what if I had opened that business, what if I had asked that nice man out for coffee? Fear of failure and rejection often holds us back because those feelings can be tough to process. We must remember that living with regrets is tough too. The urge to take a chance in life can open other doors and inspire a new direction.

8. Lack of Wonder.

Instagram culture has made it so we see pretty pictures of everything everywhere. Our sense of wonder has declined rapidly with the information age. Imagine not wanting to see the Grand Canyon because we feel like we’ve already seen enough photos of it? Imagine being so bored that a giant, full moon on a clear, starry night no longer moves us to stop and look up?

9. Toxic Food.

So many chemicals!  It’s difficult to keep up with the toxins we put into our bodies—coming from practically everywhere.  Even our “whole” foods are sprayed down or genetically engineered. Unsafe food creates disease in worst-case scenarios.  In best case? Headaches, fatigue, and digestive issues.

10. Material Possessions.

The care and keeping of our “stuff” is time-consuming, and aren’t we trying to save time? Managing our clutter and hoards keep us from doing more meaningful activities like getting fresh air and socializing.

11. Grief.

Living with a broken heart can tax our minds, bodies, and spirits. The loss of a loved one can create a melancholy that isn’t easy to shake without mental health help. We must seek help when we grow despondent in our grief or loss so we can heal our spirit.

12. Stress. 

This is a “biggie” in terms of aging because chronic stress causes inflammation in our bodies and damages our DNA! Here’s a great article to explain how stress can accelerate the aging process we are already going through: Stress Can Increase Your Biological Age.

There is far more to aging than ticking time. While it’s difficult to combat our physical decline, we can certainly remove some of these age pushers from our lives. When grief or stress take over our lives, for example, we must realize what they do to us physically. If we continue to move our stuff around, we are wasting our precious days. Aging is inevitable, but we can keep ourselves “fresh” by removing some of the things that age us faster. Feeling fresh keeps us young at heart.

I enjoyed this article, Embracing the Beauty of Aging: A Call the Rewrite the Narrative, by Elephant Journal writer Angela Warburton.

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