5 Ways to Look and Feel Younger

Looking and feeling younger has a lot to do with your health and vitality. It's especially true as you mature. Looking and feeling your best is also closely connected with how resilient, responsive, and adaptable you are. While you can't control everything in your life (obviously!), there are a lot of things you can do to strengthen your foundation of wellness, stay flexible, and look as good as you feel. Then, as seasons of life come and go, you'll be able to meet new challenges with fresh energy. Here are some key areas to keep in mind to help enhance your appearance and stamina at any age.

1. Deal With Stress

If you're living in today's culture, you've got some unavoidable stress — and that's not entirely a bad thing. Even joyful events come with intensity; family events, travel, childcare, and having a job you love. Your mental (and physical) response to stress and being able to recover from it are most important. Take a look at your daily rhythms, life circumstances, and internal perceptions. Consider what's serving your health and well-being and what's not. Adjust and remove activities and stressors as needed. You'll probably notice an immediate change in your body's response that affects you for the better.

Don't be hesitant to seek outside help — a counselor or support group can make a big difference in how you handle stress. Yoga, meditation, and prayer can ease your mind and heart, too. You'll look and feel more serene. Need some holistic support? Explore the possibilities of Young Living Essential Oils to enhance relaxation and bring you a host of other benefits.

2. Keep Moving

This can't be emphasized enough — get up and move, and do it in a way that's fun and sustainable. Exercise slows down aging — both health- and appearance-wise. It doesn't matter what your current fitness level, age, or weight is — just find a way to move more than you are already, whether it's doing housework, walking, or dancing. Get a checkup with your trusted health practitioner, follow their recommendations, then go for it. Include strength training (even bodyweight exercises are beneficial), cardiovascular exercise, and stretching/mobility movements. Through the ages, the need for human beings to be active hasn't changed, but lifestyles have; people are more sedentary than ever. You don't have to be. Making it a priority to keep moving will help you look and feel vigorous in your younger years, middle age, and beyond.

3. Focus on Nutrition

Eat well and eat as much variety as you can, with a focus on pleasure, savoring, and enjoyment. Whole, unprocessed foods are best. If you're currently consuming a lot of packaged foods, you don't have to change everything at once — just gradually introduce nutrient-dense, fresh alternatives. Stay aware of your caloric intake and the way it impacts how you look and feel. Not only is eating healthy good for you nutrition-and longevity-wise, but the act of selecting and preparing meals is also a feast for the mind and senses; the more pleasure in your life, the more joy you'll radiate.

4. Stay Connected

Want to look and feel uplifted and spontaneous? Stay connected with others. Whether you're extroverted or introverted, there's an optimal amount of socialization (online counts, too!) that's specifically right for you — and you may also find that your needs change depending on your life stage and situation. Strong, healthy community and family bonds are an effective buffer against stress and give you new perspectives that help you live more fully and intentionally. You'll be continuously learning and growing.

5. Sleep Well

Deep, restorative sleep is a necessary part of renewing your body and mind; getting enough should be a top priority. There's no other way to receive the good things that sleep provides — the term "beauty sleep" really applies. Improving your sleep habits will boost your appearance quickly, and the health benefits (immunity, cardiovascular, mood, metabolic) are numerous. To cultivate good sleep, keep your bedroom quiet and cool, and decrease your exposure to blue light prior to turning in.

Adopting a way of life that's both healthy and joyful is a wise move at any age. Try these tips to look and feel your best.