20 Ways to Stay Young

Recently I read a post on Elephant Journal on how to stay young.  I have to admit, I don't keep up with popular magazines and tips on how to stay young, but what attracted me to the post was the author taking advice from her grandmother.  I too have learned a lot from my grandmother!  My grandmother is 84 and has always lived by the motto, "Age is just a number."  She has said many times that she doesn't feel her age.  At the age of 84 she feels her age creeping up on her.  My grandmother has always told me that we have a 'real age' and our inner age is often different from our outer age.  I have learned from my beautiful grandmother that laughter, being active and living by my 'real age' are key components to living a healthy and fulfilled life.

This post is inspired by, How to Stay Young & Hot Forever: Advice from a 96-Year-Old Grandma.  

20 Ways to Stay Young

1. Laugh!  Laughter has been proven to keep us healthy and young.  There is even Laughter Yoga!

2. Surround yourself with people who feel and act young, both inside and out.  People of all ages!

3. Exercise every day!  My grandmother enjoyed gardening, walking and dancing.

4. Explore!  I'd love to travel more than I do, but for now and where I am in this life traveling around ATL keeps me young.  I crave culture, art, people and diversity so I spend lots of time at museums, going to musicals, plays and exploring the Atlanta BeltLine.  My grandmother and I use to visit the DeKalb Farmers Market almost every week together.  She enjoyed meeting new people and chatting it up about new recipe ideas.

5. Set goals and reach for the stars!  Setting goals is important and good for the soul.  Want to learn to draw?  Take a local drawing class.  Want to read a book a week?  Visit the local library.  Want to take up yoga?  Visit every yoga studio and try a variety of styles.

6. Be extravagant once in awhile.  I enjoy a daily dose of dark chocolate and recently, I started dying my hair redder than its natural red.  I vowed to live more colorfully and am loving it!

7. Practice mindfulness.  Eat, drink, say and do whatever you want, but also practice mindfulness and know when to stop.  When my grandmother wanted that Molten Chocolate dessert from Chili's she enjoyed every morsel, but we shared it.  Less calories that way!  ;)

8. Smile at everyone who crosses your path.  Sometimes we all need a pick me up and laughter keeps us young.

9. Surround yourself with like minded individuals.  Surround yourself with creative, smart, lively and interesting people who lift you up and make you hungry to learn more about the world.  My grandmother used to talk about attending Georgia Perimeter College up the street from her so she could learn how to use the computer.  She never signed up for a course, but I encouraged her to learn more and taught her a few tips.  She also sign up for Lisa Cohen's yoga class that ranged in ages 4-84 (my daughter was the 4 year old).  She rocked out!  I was so inspired by her on that day!

10. Be spontaneous!  I love this one!  I can be extremely spontaneous and have to sometimes ground myself.  I'm airy like that!  Being spontaneous keeps our creative juices flowing and makes us feel free.

11. Stay away from vampires!  Feeling sorry for yourself and bogging yourself down with regret is no good.  It's a waste of time and toxic for the soul. Keep your head up and look forward.

12. Spend time with yourself every morning.  I like to wake up early and spend time with my husband.  Once he leaves out I meditate, read and spend time with myself before the kids wake up.  My grandmother enjoyed gardening and reading.  She was also a hair stylist so she always had her hair fixed up and makeup on.  Her favorite thing to use on herself right now is hairspray!  I buy her more almost every week.

13. Its the small things that matter most.  I enjoy giving myself a pedicure once in a while, taking a walk with my dog, reading a good book with a cup of hot tea, catching up on the next Downton Abbey episode and getting dressed up (even if I'm just going to be having out around the house all day).

14. Never say you're too old!  You are only as old as you make up your mind to be. I took up skateboarding last year.  This year I'm learning Latin and piano.  I remember when I was growing up, my grandmother and mother took dance lessons together.  I love my memories of watching them practice and dance across the kitchen floor!

15. Meditate.  It helps me to set an intention every day.  Sometimes I have the same intention for a week or longer.  Especially if its something I really need to practice.  Setting an intention and meditation keeps us young and grounded.

16. It's never too late to learn!  There is always room for learning something new or maybe even brushing up on a favorite hobby, career or a new interest.  My favorite subject is history!  I enjoy learning Art History, Ga. History, U.S. History and World History.  I also enjoy learning about our family history!  I ask my grandmother many questions about her childhood and about our family's history.  I also have a dear friend who is going to lend me her ukulele so I can being learning how to play.  I'm super excited!

17. Breathe.  We often forget to breathe deeply.  Practicing mindful breathing is healthy for the mind and body.

18. Practice gratitude.  When bummed out about something practice gratitude.  Last year I got into a car accident and although I was upset about it being my husbands car I sure was thankful for not getting hurt.  At the end of the day I was returning home to be with my husband and children.  This year my husband got into a car accident and totaled his car.  We still have not found him a new car.  But, its okay!  He is healthy and alive.  I am grateful and so is he.

19. Allow yourself to have a pj day!  My favorite day to do this is on a rainy day.  My grandmother has no problem doing this!  She LOVED to sleep!  About half way through the day I tend to get antsy and end up getting dressed because I experience cabin fever, but there have been other days when I have finished a book I have been reading for weeks, finish a show that has been paused on Netflix or just spend the day snuggling with the kiddos while we read Little House on the Prairie or The Wizard of Oz.

20. Diversity is good for the soul!  Surround yourself with friends who are younger, older and the same age as you.  This is guaranteed to keep you balanced and young!  

My grandmother is a dear friend of mine and has taught me so much.  I am blessed to have her in my life and my children are blessed to have their great-grandmother in their lives.  Love you, Hello!