Written by Julia Austin<\/a><\/p>\n
Add years and quality to your life with these 5 tips.<\/em><\/p>\n
The Pursuit of Happiness<\/strong><\/p>\n
Keep active and involved. Happiness is easier to cultivate than you think.<\/a> Believe that life still has enjoyable experiences to offer you. Even if you just don\u2019t see how you can be happy as you age, force yourself to go to events, to gatherings, to dinner with friends. You\u2019ll usually be pleasantly surprised with what you find and positive attitude and optimism<\/strong> are linked to longevity. If you\u2019re not sure what makes you happy, learn. Take notes at times when you feel particularly uplifted, and those when you feel anxiety-ridden. Where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing? Adjust your daily activities accordingly.<\/p>\n
Photo: Microsoft Images Older Women Laughing<\/em><\/p>\n
Don\u2019t Run From Novelty<\/strong><\/p>\n
Be Your Own Cheerleade<\/strong>r<\/p>\n
It may be harder than ever to do so now that you\u2019re aging, but it\u2019s also more important than ever to love yourself. Tell yourself you are fabulous. Make yourself fabulous<\/a> by dressing up, standing up straight and quitting those self-deprecating thoughts and comments. Do the things that make you happy more often, and remind yourself it’s because you deserve<\/em> to. Why? Because your body becomes stressed when you have thoughts like \u201cI\u2019m not good enough.\u201d And we already know stress is bad for the body.<\/p>\n
Become A Social Butterfly<\/strong><\/p>\n
Photo: Microsoft Images Older Couples Socializing<\/em><\/p>\n
I saved it till the last point to keep your attention. I know you\u2019ve heard it before, but it can\u2019t hurt to hear it again. Exercising regularly makes you less likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, dementia, osteoarthritis, depression and obesity. One study found that women who walk briskly for just 5 hours a week have a 76% higher chance of aging gracefully and healthfully, with less physical and mental impairment. Of course, if you are aging, you can\u2019t exactly run an hour a day or rock climb like you used to (if you used to at all). Look into low impact workouts like walking, resistance training, tai chi and yoga<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Photo: Microsoft Images Woman Doing Yoga<\/em><\/p>\n
Bonus: Best Pizzeria review ever.<\/strong><\/p>\n