The 5 Habits That Make You Feel Older

Growing older is intrinsic, but feeling irrelevant, bored, or weak isn’t. Despite representation in the media, well-being isn’t reserved for the young. Besides, many of the ailments associated with aging –– like cognitive decline or low sex drive –– have less to do with intrinsic aging and more to do with your lifestyle. A lifestyle you can reverse by ridding yourself of five habits scientists believe make you feel older.

5 Habits Linked to Feeling Older

If you aren’t chronologically old, the reason you may feel old could have more to do with society’s representation of youth and aging. Younger people are energetic, happy, and social. As a result, feeling older is often associated with loneliness, anxiety, and feelings of despair –– all of which can be challenged.

Thankfully, researchers have established the lifestyle changes responsible for feeling older –– and ways to change them –– which you can reverse to feel young again.

1.   Comparing Yourself to Others

Comparison is the thief of joy. Yet, psychologists have determined that as humans we have an innate urge to please those who we perceive are superior. Comparison takes root as we search for those who have social or physical advantages.

Once we identify these “superior” beings, life can quickly devolve into keeping up with the Joneses, which leads to self-pity, shame, and an overall sense of unhappiness.

You can overcome these tendencies –– and start feeling younger –– by remembering that you have a different set of circumstances, pace, and cognitive capacity to those you’re comparing yourself to.

2.   Poor Sleeping Habits

Beyond feeling bad when you’re sleep-deprived, your cognitive abilities –– especially your memory –– suffer. The best solution would be to get more sleep, something you can do by cutting out other bad habits like smoking and excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption. However, even if you’re ticking all the right boxes to have deep, effective sleep, scientists have discovered that getting more restful sleep becomes difficult as you age.

If you are chronically sleep-deprived, going to a sleep clinic may be your best solution.

3.   Dehydration

Dehydration, unlike sleep, is hard to quantify. But if you’re like 75% of Americans, you are most likely chronically dehydrated. Considering our bodies rely on water to complete the most basic cellular functions, you won’t feel youthful unless you drink more water.

Dehydration causes low energy, overeating, and decreased skin elasticity. So, drinking the recommended half a gallon –– more if you’re physically active –– is the best way to look and feel younger.

4.   Being Sedentary

Physical activity does more than create an aesthetic physique. Exercise increases endorphins, improves blood circulation, and reduces stress, all of which make you feel happier.

However, most people aren’t as physically active as they should be. If you’re one of those people, spend time discovering the type of exercise you enjoy. Exercise doesn’t have to be a traditional gym session; dancing, walking, hiking, deep cleaning, and cycling are all ways to get in enough daily exercise to attain the benefits associated with physical activity.

5.   Using Your Devices Excessively

The blue light on your favorite device affects your sleep patterns, causes and exacerbates migraines, and disrupts your hormones, which could make you feel sluggish. To feel younger, you only need to reduce using your devices, find something else entertaining to occupy your time. Physical activity –– like group sports –– could be ideal as it helps reduce screen time while increasing your sense of happiness.

Essentially, feeling younger has more to do with enhancing your wellbeing than the number of birthdays you’ve celebrated. Accordingly, you could be feeling older because you’re indulging in activities that accelerate the aging process.

 

 

11 thoughts on “The 5 Habits That Make You Feel Older”

  1. Theoretically, perfectly correct. Now the practicalities: Sleep deprivation increases in old age, both insomnia and toilet trips. Covid-19 and its later progressive viruses demand isolation to prevent infection that in addition to preexisting ailments would become fatal. Lack of company is known to be depressing, and heralds the undertaker. Exercise would be wonderful but the knees and back are worn out. Medicines are as much hazard as they are advantage: it seems that we cannot believe any advice that is given because someone is bound to dispute it.
    We know that the NHS is collapsing and we do not wish to be the cause. American style private health care is unaffordable and insurance doesn’t cover everything. Family has all died off and no children were ever born. Neighbours are very kind but we must not impose upon their good nature. Our future is mercifully limited but what time is left looks increasingly bleak.

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    • I totally agree with the bathroom trip thing … thats the one thing thats killing me … if i can solve that then everything else falls into place …

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      • I had the same problem until I asked my urologist what time I should atop drinking water to avoid it. She told me 6PM. I haven’t had a problem since.

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    • Well said. I am old and very fortunate in many ways although I agree with you regarding lack of sleep and the fact that many of us do not have the strength to do exercise daily. I’m fortunate too because I have had the same HMO for years and because my income is so low and the medicine I need so high they have a program where my copays are paid. Otherwise, I would be dead. The medicine I need is $20,000 per infusion and the shot to go with it is another $2,000. I get half a unit of the nuclear medicine because my body can’t handle the full one but the first one I got was $40,000. I worked my whole life (or at least 60 years of it) yet, because I nearly always worked as a secretary (legal, medical, college) my income was low for those years and what went to SS is low. I get $88 in food stamps and a four-hour a week care provider because of this. As I said, I am so fortunate to have my children help me, esp. my daughter and granddaughter or I wouldn’t make it. My neighbors are great too as I made a point of meeting them when I moved here. One neighbor is very lonely as he is divorced and had no children so he comes over at least once a week just to visit. Another one will drive me to my appointments if my family isn’t available but in her own life, her daughters may call her once a month maybe, so she is lonely too. From what I have seen of the Senior Care facilities, I would rather be dead than be in any of them, but then, I couldn’t get into one as they are several thousands per month for their little apartments. I’ve read about how to meet others when you are alone but that also takes money and transportation. I hope you are able to make some strong friendships as you sound as if you’re having the same problems most of the older population faces after we retire. As far as advice, yes it will be disputed by someone who probably doesn’t know anything more about it than what they have read on Social Media. Keep trying to be positive in your thoughts (nearly impossible but try). I think you must not live in the US because you refer to NHS. Our Medicare or Medicaid was supposed to be a way for all to get health care, it doesn’t work either.

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  2. Great Web Page, I thank you for it. I am lucky I am 94 and my wife is 83. Both of us are doing well so far. We had two children. one is still left. However your page is good for us. Thank you again. PS: Except for the trips to the Bath Room. Ha….

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  3. At 91 years of age life certainly isn’t like it was just ten years ago, however, I am pleased to have read your page since I’ve been negligent not practicing most of your cautions. I am active as a Director on one of the government agencies and play golf twice weekly. Both have helped me stay positive both mentally and physically. Also golf affords the opportunity for interaction with many friends.
    I will include your suggestions and try to stay on track.
    Thank you for the info!

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  4. I am eighty-six years of age. I retired from US Navy 1977 twenty-two years Chief boatswain’s Mate. Korea & Viet Nam. Merchant seaman for fifteen more years. Ten years in Japan. Karate Black belt, Judo trained as well. Ninjutsu with Stephen K. Hayes, Ohio. Lived in Ensenada, Mexico ten years 1986 -1996. Had a triple bypass at Naval Hospital San Diego 2007. I read or watch TV & online daily. Drink Douwe Egbert coffee morning till midnight. Dash of Mexican Kahlua in every cup. Avoid manual labor much as possible. Live on the banks of Lake Ontario in Pulaski, New York. No aches or pains so far. Try “Young Again” products for prostate trips to the loo. Sleep well. I stroll about two hundred yards out to the mailbox and back daily. Everything is just fine and dandy. Even keel. Aloha, Cliff

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  5. Extremely helpful article, because it introduces the concept of HOPE. YES, for those open to the concept of change, life can improve at any age and in spite of MANY (not all) circumstances. I felt 80 years old when I was 40. I now feel and act like I am 35 at nearly 70. (vigorous yardwork on 1.7 acres. Only use a push mower and hand tools.) I live with my 12 years alive Rottweiler. (whose life dramatically improved when I inherited her and began to mix B-17, MSM, humic fulvic for pets (detox heavy metals), and tumeric, into her food, alternating, not all at once.) I am 14.75 years sober. Here’s how I began the years long sustained transformation. I began with brutally honest prayer which included a fair amount of cussing. I asked for a PLAN, a “WAR PLAN”, for improving my health. My answered to prayer began with this: “Add ONE good habit, and eliminate ONE bad habit. And start with the simplest EASIEST things, because you are weakest now. In a few weeks add the next easy simple changes”. Over 30 years, this CONTINUES to work! Chip Zika W. Laf., Indiana

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