Amid increased COVID-19-related restrictions, some of you may be less enthusiastic about the Christmas holidays this year. But now more than ever, we need to find a bit of childlike delight as we navigate the final days of 2020.
Why?
Because being ageless starts in your mind.
Everyone grows older and eventually dies; it’s just the natural way of life. How a person deals with aging is a whole other story and entirely up to the person. Your brain has the power to make you ageless.
If you have the right mindset, you can make it so you hardly notice you’ve aged at all. I’m going to provide you with everything you need to start putting yourself in the ageless mindset.
How can a positive mindset make you ageless?
Of course, we don’t mean that it can literally make you ageless, but it can certainly make you feel as if you are! One of the biggest complaints among those over the age of 50 are the feelings of deterioration, decline, and the sense of being unwanted or not useful that so often come with aging.
Your mindset is a big part of how you cope with that and how you can work to combat it. If you keep your mind focused on the positive things your age has brought you (like wisdom, understanding and the ability to better help others) and work diligently to maintain good physical health, you won’t notice your aging a bit. Plus, it will greatly improve your overall outlook on life, as well as your quality of life.
Ignore the culture of youth surrounding you
We live in a world obsessed with youth. Every day, older people are pushed to the side in favour of the younger generations. People are seen as being in their prime when they’re in their late teens and early 20s. Some of us who are older than 30 frequently lie about our age, trying to make it seem like we’re part of the favoured, younger group.
In order to get past this and actually start living with an ageless mindset, you have to do your best to tune it out. You have aged to the best state you’ve been yet. You’re wizened and seasoned. Stop denying your aging and own it; that’s what will truly make you ageless.
Love your body and own your age
The only way to ensure you keep having an ageless mindset is to continue to love your body and remind yourself that you’re getting better with age. There’s no such thing as perfection for humanity; we make mistakes, learn and grow throughout our lives.
An important part of keeping yourself in the ageless mindset is loving and appreciating your body for what it does for you and how far it has gotten you. Every day that you’re alive, you learn something new and adapt to changes around you. The first step in keeping an ageless mindset is loving your body for all its many years and experiences and appreciating it.
Never say never
The number one thing that will knock you off your track towards an ageless mindset is negativity. We psych ourselves out by telling ourselves that we’re too old to do something, too set in our ways to learn something and even that we’re simply too old to be of value.
These thoughts are toxic and highly dangerous to the positive outlook you’re trying to maintain. You’re capable of doing anything you put your mind to. It may take you a little extra effort to get there but if you make the effort, you can accomplish it.
Never listen when that voice inside your head tells you anything negative about your abilities, your worth or your age.
How you deal with aging is entirely up to you. You can be in denial about the fact that you’re getting older by lying about your age and dying your hair. Or you can embrace your age for all the wonderful things it has brought you and move forward with a positive mindset that will have you feeling ageless.
Troy Media columnist Faith Wood is a novelist and professional speaker who focuses on helping groups and individuals navigate conflict, shift perceptions and improve communications.
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