Looking for a Fountain of Youth? We found 5 of them!

story by Jennifer Cooper
Image by Kelsey Curtis

“Researchers found that compassionate people appear younger and sexier.”

Anti-aging is a 60 billion dollar industry in the U.S.(1) That’s three times what we spend on space exploration. It’s also a helluva lot of wrinkle cream. It might be why every celebrity from JLo to Goop is building a skin care empire. Even Brad Pitt got in on the action.

Since we are obsessed with turning back the clock, I thought we should look at five ways we can actually slow down time.

1. Walk every day. Our hearts can start showing signs of stiffness as early as our 30s. But with regular exercise in our 40s and 50s, our hearts can actually show signs of getting younger.(2) Meaning they get stronger, more flexible, and work more efficiently. The key is to kick it from from a stroll, which is lovely, to a brisk pace.(3)

2. Journal. Set a timer for 10 minutes and write about your life. Seeing your experiences written down can help slow down your perception of time and also show you how wisely you’ve used it.(4)

3. Do something you love so much that you completely forget about time altogether. Find flow and you’ll forget all the ageist messaging you’ve received, at least for a little while.

4. Flex your compassion muscle. Inside our DNA, there’s a marker for aging called telomeres. When we’re young, the telomeres are long. As we age, they shrink. Now here’s where it gets interesting: people who’ve trained themselves to be more compassionate have longer telomeres than their peers who haven’t. Not only that, but researchers also found that compassionate people are sexier. True story.(5)

5. Invite more openness and new experiences to your life. You know how you’re craving something new or different? Well, it’s probably because intuitively you know it’s the key to longevity. Maybe this is the real driver behind the midlife crisis? It’s not about blowing up your life, it’s about living more fully. Because the more new experiences we have, the slower time moves. Plus, fresh experiences actually make us feel younger both mentally and physically.(6)

So get out there! Stay active, kind, present, and open. You’ll feel younger in mind, body, and spirit, regardless of the products you put on your face.

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