This article is the first of two written by Pamela Crane with the aim of helping you to remain youthful for longer in both mind and body.
Starting your journey towards a more youthful mind and body
Hello, and welcome to learning how you can help your mind and your body to rejuvenate and to remain youthful for longer. There’s no getting away from the fact that as human beings we are all going through the very natural process that is aging. Remember when you were young and could eat and drink what you wanted without suffering the effects of weight gain, stay up until the early hours and still function without the need for a nap the next day? A distant memory for many of us over fifty, I should imagine. Do you feel bad about yourself when you look in the mirror first thing in the morning? Are your joints aching more and more? Have you answered ‘Yes’ to these questions? Read on and begin your journey towards a more youthful mind and body!
In the two articles I will show you how you can use the power of your mind to overcome mental, emotional and physical issues. You will learn techniques you can use each day which will really help you to feel so much better about yourself and which in turn will help you to develop a more positive outlook. Essentially, if you feel good on the inside, you are more likely to look good on the outside. It’s a ‘win-win’ situation.
Firstly, let’s begin by giving your physical body a bit of help
I know – this is the boring bit but please stay with it and I promise not to preach. The one thing I want to ask you is, ‘Are you drinking enough water?!’ It can’t be emphasised enough that water is the elixir of youth, it helps to flush out toxins and cleanses your digestive system; it helps give a healthy glow to your skin, all of which will certainly help with a more youthful looking appearance. And, you can save yourself a fortune on all those ‘age defying’ creams.
Next, is what we put into our bodies, don’t worry I’m not going to say that you need to abstain from all the foods you love. I know from experience of working with people to help them to lose weight that feeling you are being denied something only makes you want it more. What I will say though, is this, if all you eat is rubbish then that’s how you will feel – rubbish. Think about it.
Fact: smoking ages your skin, gives you wrinkles and a sallow complexion. We all know that smoking can have a detrimental effect upon our health too. So, if you are a smoker try to cut down or cut it out altogether. Smoking creates an addiction to nicotine and this addiction can be eradicated. Your body is quite amazing too and over time, once you have stopped smoking it can recover to quite an extent.
Exercise is crucial: if we want our body to remain youthful looking and maintain its flexibility we need to keep moving! Joining a gym is a good option for some but personally, gyms are not for me. In the past I’ve joined gyms and gone a few times then got fed up having paid my membership money only to drive past and think, ‘I’m a member of that gym!’ I much prefer a good dance or a brisk walk.
So, don’t punish yourself, exercise in a way that you enjoy and keep your body and mind as healthy and as youthful as possible.
The secret of staying young; it’s in your mind-set
Forget the expensive creams, the Botox injections and the face lifts. These are just quick-fix solutions that give no more than a veneer of youth. The real secret to staying young is to develop and maintain a youthful mind-set. Set aside the cranky thinking, the complaining, the negative responses and instead, create feelings of optimism, positivity and a zest for life.
“Staying young is a state of mind…not being reactionary or being disapproving of more and more things, not settling for what you’ve always had or always done.” (Richard Templar, The Rules of Life)
The good news is that you can choose to change your mind-set. You can take control of your life and you can rejuvenate. There are numerous techniques you can use to help you to do just that. Read on to learn some of them.
Develop an attitude of gratitude
Make feeling grateful become a habit by using this technique; begin and end each day by saying ‘Thank you’ for at least three things. It doesn’t need to be anything earth shattering; being thankful for the stream of sunshine through the window or the rainfall to nourish the garden or just looking forward to your first cuppa of the day perhaps will help you to begin to develop this attitude so essential to creating a more youthful state of mind. At the end of each day, think back and say ‘Thank you’ for at least three things you are grateful for. You could write them all in a notebook and read through them at the end of the week. Doing this will give you an extra boost and further reinforce a more positive outlook.
Attracting positivity
I firmly believe that what we think is what we attract. So, for example, if we think something is not going to go well then that’s what’s likely to happen. Test it for yourself: tell yourself that Monday’s are never good days for you. It’s the first day after the weekend and there’s always extra to do, perhaps. Start out on a Monday morning believing this and I guarantee that’s how your day will pan out. Conversely, tell yourself that this Monday will be a good day and that you will handle everything that occurs in the best possible way. Albeit that we can’t always change a particular situation, we can change our response to it and in turn, our response affects our experience of it.
I will be explaining more about this next time and showing you more techniques you can use to create a more positive and youthful mind-set.
Ending with a smile
How many people do you know who are not particularly beautiful- until they smile! A smile is nature’s own face lift. Smile and you will appear more youthful. Smile and you will lift your mood. Did you know that by simply creating a smile you release the hormone serotonin, often referred to as ‘the happy hormone.’ So, if it isn’t already, make smiling become your new habit. Why not share your smile with others and make their day brighter too.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it for you. And, remember, you have started your journey towards a more youthful mind and body – enjoy every wonderful minute!
With love and blessings,
Pamela
