Human beings are creatures of habit, pure and simple. We are wont to do certain things in a certain way, over and over again, ad nauseum — usually even at the risk of numerous negative consequences. And then we would later wonder why they happen to us. The same applies even to why so many of us look far older than our youthful-looking peers. Indeed, it doesn’t even take formal research to know that we only have ourselves to blame for why some of us look older than we are. Many of the following seven habits just speak for themselves.
Frequent Frowning
Everyone knows this one. You’ve read this somewhere or heard it from someone else — or several other persons — in a given number of surely riveting conversations. But if you somehow haven’t, here it is: frowning requires the use of more facial muscles than smiling. It’s a saying that is so common that coming across it once again is more than enough to put yet another frown on your face. It’s true, though. Both smiling and frowning cause fine lines to appear on one’s face, but frown lines may occur more easily and prominently.
Sleeping In Certain Positions
Believe it or not, our sleep positions matter. The worst of them all is sleeping on our belly, with our faces smushed into our pillows. Sleeping in this manner forces the skin on our face to bend and fold, far too frequently, into the strangest configurations. This makes our face more likely to form fine lines and wrinkles much more prematurely than people who sleep on their sides. Studies even indicate that sleeping on our side is actually the most ideal sleeping position since doing so may enable our body to efficiently clear waste from the brain. This may eventually put us at a lower risk of certain age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Neglecting That Sunscreen
It’s easy enough to purchase sunscreen; being disciplined enough to apply it regularly is another matter altogether. As important as some exposure to the sun may be for our own health, too much of it is hardly ideal either. This is due to the fact that the sun emits harmful ultraviolet rays that have a tendency to age our skin with overexposure. Therefore, always leave your sunscreen in plain sight so that you may never skip it ever again. If you’re unsure as to which SPF to choose from, simply aim for something that is at least 30. That should be sufficient in most cases.
Smoking
Here’s another reason to kick this ghastly habit once and for all: smoking does age your skin. Nicotine feels great but it narrows blood vessels in our skin, thus obstructing the flow of our bloodstream, preventing the efficient transport of nutrients and oxygen to our skin. As a result, our skin is less able to efficiently repair itself when it needs to. The same thing applies to regular secondhand smokers, too, so if you live with a smoker, do convince them to stop right now.
Binge Drinking
A night out while indulging in drinks with your friends is certainly more than fine. Just don’t make binge drinking a habit. Frequent consumption of alcohol might make you age quickly since alcohol exerts a dehydrating effect on your body, including your skin. Majority of our skin is composed of water, not quite unlike the rest of our body. When you force your skin to go through frequent bouts of dehydration, its collagen layer becomes destroyed more rapidly than it can be repaired. Without a sufficient layer of protein glue, your skin will then begin to fall apart and lose its suppleness quickly.
Slouching
Believe it or not, there are indeed valid reasons not to slouch. Slouching makes you more likely to develop a very bad posture over time that foster muscle imbalance and weakness. The result is a body that is prematurely unable to support itself in an upright position, making you look much older than you really are. Not only does this appear unflattering, but this may also even cause you needless pain and discomfort over time.
Negative Thinking
Finally, as hard as this may be for the pessimists among you: stop thinking negatively. This is quite likely the one habit that is the root cause of why you age more quickly than your peers for a great number of reasons. One of them includes the fact that pessimistic thinking makes you far less likely to care for yourself. This causes you to lag far behind your optimistic peers who believe that they deserve the very best, and only treat themselves in the best way they can. As your first exercise towards positive thinking, why not treat yourself for once? Everyone deserves it. Why not you?