5 Bad Habits That Age You Faster Without You Noticing It

15 Bad Habits That Age You Faster Without You Noticing It

With the possible exception of teenagers, just about everyone wants to look younger. That’s why the age-defying industry is so huge. People spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars each year to make themselves appear younger. While expensive creams and beauty procedures do their bit, the best investment lies in the adjustments we make in our lives and daily routines. Here are 15 bad habits that age you faster than you think!

Number 1 - Indulging Too Often If you usually say yes to dessert and other treats, such as pastries and candy bars, you may find yourself aging prematurely. Not only does sugar cause widespread inflammation in the body that can lead to disease, it also directly affects appearance. Sugar molecules initiate a biochemical process which leaves you looking tired, puffy and wrinkled. Let’s not forget that consistently giving in to temptation can also result in a loss of confidence and self-trust. Having a consistent healthy diet will help you achieve more of what you want, leading to a happier more youthful future.

Number 2 - Skimping On Sleep Scientific studies have shown that sleeping less than seven hours per night on a regular basis can shorten your life. It will also make you look and feel a lot older than you are. For one, not getting enough sleep robs you of the mental and physical energy you need to get through a typical day - to the point where it can make it very difficult to thrive in your personal or professional life. Second, failing to get enough sleep is hard on your body, including your vital organs, like the brain and heart. The healing and detoxification processes that occur during sleep are imperative for a strong, resilient mind and body. For example, the sleep hormone melatonin, contributes to cellular repair which wards off cancer. Human growth hormone is also produced during sleep, which gives us good muscle tone and youthful vitality.

Number 3 - The Way You Sleep Sleeping with your face smashed into a pillow can make you look years older. Persistently pressing your face into a pillow causes trauma to the skin. Over time, as collagen breaks down, this trauma aggravated by the friction of a cotton pillowcase, can create permanent creases in your face. The skin’s ability to regenerate itself is also compromised by the impaired circulation to the part of the face pressed into the pillow. To fix this problem, try sleeping on your back. Or, use a silk pillowcase - it will not only minimize friction, but silk also contains amino acids that are very similar to those found in your moisturizers. As such, they don't draw moisture from your face the way that some other pillowcases can.

Number 4 - Crash Dieting Who doesn’t want to lose 10 pounds before a long-awaited vacation? While quick fixes are tempting, crash dieting is never a good idea. It’s not a long-term solution. In fact, it may even be a long-term threat! Research shows that crash dieting can make you feel older, because it reduces your energy levels, messes with your concentration, and makes you depressed and irritable. Crash dieting can also cause wrinkles and sagging, because the skin doesn’t have time to adjust to the weight loss. Obviously, weight management is important for health. But don't try to lose more than one or two pounds a week.

Number 5 - Exercising Only To Lose Weight If your exercise plan starts every January 1st and lasts only until you’re able to fit back into your jeans, you may be cheating yourself out of longevity. Many studies show that regular exercise helps prevent age-related diseases, and prolongs life span. Daily exercise helps lower cortisol levels and increases beneficial hormones. It also helps control high blood pressure, improve mood, and keeps us strong and flexible as we age. It’s important to take pleasure in moving your body and to enjoy the rush of blood, sweat and endorphins that comes along with it. Make exercise an enjoyable ritual, rather than a dreaded punishment.

Number 6 - Not Taking Time For Yourself When was the last time you took time for yourself - perhaps an evening, or even just an hour? While this sounds impossible to many of us, the fact is, no one is ever going to make the time for you. It’s something you must do for yourself, and it’s an important way to prevent premature aging. Start by establishing small “me-time” rituals throughout the day, even if it’s just a quick journal entry before bed, or a walk around the block in the morning. These small self-love gestures go a long way toward self-satisfaction and ultimately long-term wellness.

Number 7 - Drinking From Bottles And Through Straws It may be hard to believe, but the puckering process of drinking from a bottle or through a straw - just like any repeated muscle motion - can lead to fine lines and wrinkles around your mouth. Dermatologists advise those who are prone to fine lines and wrinkles around their mouth to avoid straws altogether, and drink directly from a glass. If you can’t kick the habit of drinking out of bottles, try to relax your upper lip to help prevent unwanted lines.

Number 8 - Holding Onto Grudges Life is too short and precious to hold onto grudges. Learning how to forgive and let go may add years to your life and make the years you have left a lot more productive. You might even notice fewer wrinkles from frowning! Studies show that forgiveness leads to better physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being. Benefits include lower blood pressure, less depression, less stress, and less anxiety.

Number 9 - Not Using Sunscreen Every Day Overexposure to UV radiation is one of the key causes of ageing skin. It pays to wear sunscreen, even on cloudy days, because clouds only block about 20 percent of UV rays. And UV rays cause free radicals that can damage your collagen, elastin and skin cells. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, to prevent or reverse the signs of premature aging on your skin.

Number 10 - Sweating The Small Stuff It is evident that stress accelerates the aging process by causing a chemical imbalance in the body. The effects of stress are not visible right away because they are more internal, but gradually, if we are consistently stressed, we will see it! So make a point of rolling with the punches, going with the flow, and laughing things off whenever possible and appropriate. Realize that even the worst situations are transient. Having a little bit of optimism is a great way to defend yourself from premature aging.

Number 11 - Rubbing Your Eyes If you want to stay younger-looking, you should avoid rubbing your eyes. Rubbing your eyes breaks down collagen and elasticity around the area, which produces wrinkles and broken capillaries. For relief from tired or irritated eyes, instead of rubbing them, try brewing two green tea bags, allow them to cool, and place them over your eyes for 10 minutes.

Number 12 - Working Too Much Focusing on your career above all else — like your physical health or home and family — can help you climb the corporate ladder, but it comes with a cost. Simply put, taking on as much as possible at work in order to advance your career might net you a promotion, but is it worth looking and feeling a lot older? Problems arise when you work an excessive amount of overtime. Add ten or twenty hours to a 40-hour work week and suddenly there isn’t a lot of time for exercising, relaxing with friends and family, or even sleeping. Working extra hours can also make it tough to eat well, with many workaholics resorting to fast food in order to get by. It’s a situation that leaves many people one or two steps ahead in their careers, but far behind in every other part of their lives.

Number 13 - Central Air And Heating Low-humidity environments such as those created by central heating and air conditioning can lead to dry skin. And dry skin makes wrinkles more pronounced -- even though it doesn't actually cause wrinkles. It’s best to warm or cool your body by putting on or taking off layers of clothing, rather than turning up the heat or air conditioner.

Number 14 - Using Alcohol As Stress-Relief While a glass of wine a couple of times a week is certainly not an issue, using alcohol as an escape from daily troubles might be making you old before your time. Not only because of the physical effects of the alcohol (like inflammation and a slower metabolism), but also because this indicates that issues are being left unresolved and trapped inside. Try writing down things that are bothering you, to give you perspective, instead of automatically reaching for a glass at the end of a long day. Even this small action helps shed the load of stress, and may bring clarity and resolution to a problem.

Number 15 - Smoking It’s certainly no secret that smoking is bad for your health. But did you know it’s bad for your looks, too? Cigars and cigarettes contain chemicals that once released into the air, tend to stain everything they come into contact with — include skin, teeth, eyes, and even hair. Of course, that’s not even considering the fact that excessive smoking can result in one developing a range of serious health problems, affecting parts of our body beyond the surface.

For example, smoking can do serious damage to the mouth, throat, and lungs. It can make you sound a lot older than you are. Studies show that in addition to shortening your life by increasing your risk for heart and lung disease, smoking can activate enzymes that break down the elasticity of your skin. Even if you’re a closet smoker, the fine wrinkles and pale appearance that cigarettes cause can give you away - just one more reason to cut out smoking! Picture yourself five, ten, twenty years from now. Will you be vibrant, strong and aging gracefully? Or will you be looking older than what your age would suggest?

It’s important to realize that the choice is in your hands. Since getting older is an extremely slow and gradual process that happens over time, it’s those little habits that you do every day that can determine how healthy and happy you’ll be down the road. Fortunately, the choices and habits that promote wellness as you age are also great ways to take care of yourself now. It’s never too early, or too late, to embrace a healthier lifestyle! As always, we want to know what you think! And, let us know how you keep yourself looking young. Or, what changes you plan on making!