5 Things to do Now That Will Improve Your Life in 50 Years:

So while we were in Palm Beach on Worth Avenue shopping and shooting I couldn’t help but notice how differently people age. Our habits create us and they’re accumulative. So you can imagine over 80 years how doing something over and over affects us. At a glance, their wrinkled faces show all the smiles and frowns of their lifetime. We become a sum of our life, habits, and experiences. Palm Beach has a large elderly population and I couldn’t help but notice how some of them looked spry and active while others needed wheeling around. It got me thinking about myself growing older and how I want to be- if I’m lucky enough to live that long. So I wanted to share with you the things I practice for the future, my 5 things to do now that will Improve your life in 50 years.

1. Protect your hearing:

I know they can do amazing things now with hearing aids but who wants that thing in their ear? Have you ever been to a party where everyone around you is speaking another language? They’re all and laughing and joking but you can’t understand any of it? It’s so lame, right? Just imagine being around all your friends and family but you’re totally secluded from the conversation because you can’t hear. That would be even sadder because they’re your loved ones and your time with them is limited.

When I worked in Las Vegas I had to take a hearing test and hearing education class. So here is the rundown: Basically, your ears have little hairs on them, that’s how they receive sound. Well, every time they’re exposed to loud music they lay down, each time fewer and fewer stand back up and you lose your hearing. The thing is though, they lay down within being exposed to loud noise for only 30 seconds. The key is not making them lay down so if you know you’re going to be exposed to loud music or noise wear earplugs. If you put them in 20 minutes before you’re exposed to the noise your ears will adjust and you can hear everything. The plugs just filter out the loud noise. I promise you’ll be able to hear people talking to you but you won’t be damaging your ears. Also, most people listen to their headphones (and music in their car) way too loudly. You should utilize the iPhone feature for volume control in your settings so you never go above a certain level and never damage your ears.

2. Drink Lots of Water:

I know I have covered this topic ad nauseam but it’s SO important. Drinking water is essential for all your organs to function. Water keeps your mind clear, your energy levels up, and your defense mechanisms working properly. Cancer cells thrive in acidic environments and when you’re dehydrated, that’s exactly what your body is. You can reduce your risk of contracting diseases, getting cancer and more. Not to mention, kidney stones. I have heard horror stories and I want no part in that. The number one way to reduce your risk of getting them? Drinking a lot of water.

I firmly believe that if we all just focused on being properly hydrated most disease and sickness would never even happen. Talk about improving the quality of your life long term. So, go get the largest REFILLABLE water bottle you can find and keep it full. (I promise the frequent peeing goes away as you become properly hydrated.)

3. Exercise:

Again this is something I have covered here before but it’s true. Exercise is not only cosmetic, although the confidence you gain goes a long way to improving life quality. But more importantly, it’s one of those cases of “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” This is even true with cars if you never start them or drive them around they stop working right. If anything sits and sits it will continue to sit. We are not meant to be stationary. Not to mention how exercise keeps you aware of your body, if something isn’t right you can feel it which could lead to early diagnosis of ailments allowing you to stop them before they progress. Working out is also vital to your heart and brain health; your most important organs. You need to get your blood flowing, get oxygen to your brain and keep yourself alive.

Oftentimes we don’t even know how bad we feel until we compare it to our healthier selves. The other super important part of working out is that it’s not just your muscles that get stronger, your bones actually gain strength and that’s so important for elderly people. Did you know that 75% of people who break a hip over 75 don’t live another year… that statistic is SCARY! So, get really strong so you don’t break a hip. Keep your body working to its full potential, I think you owe it to yourself. Lastly, in the words of Elle Woods,

4. See a Therapist:

Speaking of mental health, don’t be afraid to see a therapist. I feel like some people regard this as taboo or embarrassing. There is nothing embarrassing about being proactive for your peace of mind. We all go through things, some are “worse” than others, some scar us emotionally so deeply and we don’t even know why it hurts us so much. Everything affects people differently and we end up with these wounds that can help us grow or limit us. I believe (good) therapists have a gift that allows us to see another side of things, to step outside our normal way of thinking. I am the type of person who will not believe you if you tell me something is hot. I have to touch it. I have to learn for myself. Well, it can take a lot longer to realize things about ourselves without help. Self-awareness grows from constantly reflecting on our thoughts, actions and why or what made us behave that way. Some people can do this on their own but it may take a long time. A therapist can help you learn so much and grow so quickly that you’re able to live your best life 10 times sooner than you maybe could alone.

I went through some dark times as a child, being bullied for years. I still carry those wounds with me. Sometimes they cause me to be defensive and angry. They sometimes make me feel like everyone is against me. Sometimes I can misunderstand someone and snap at them… none of these reactions make me feel better. They all make me feel worse. Going through life like that, not only feeling like everyone is against me, but then reacting and feeling worse about myself after… it’s a vicious cycle that can cause more pain and suffering if I allowed it to go on. We have to be realistic with ourselves, if something is wrong, we need to seek a solution so we don’t carry that with us our entire lives. Because eventually, we’ll blow up, eat ourselves up, or lose people we care about. None of that is beneficial to our quality of life and some could cause longstanding regrets. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to grow old with regrets.

5. Take care of your skin and teeth:

I’m sure you’ve heard this one before but it’s true. If we don’t care for our skin now we could end up with all kinds of problems later on. Our skin is actually the largest organ we have and it goes through a lot. It protects our insides, it removes impurities, it grows, heals, stretches, it is actually incredible and yet so many people take it for granted. If we don’t care for our skin, we can age prematurely and feel bad about ourselves. But worse, in our older years, we could develop cancer, sores, and pain. The older we get the riskier surgeries are and prevention is much easier than damage control. Make sure you wear sunscreen and get regular dermatologist screenings.

Our teeth are so much a part of our personality that when you think of your friends and family, don’t you imagine them smiling at you? Not only are teeth important for eating and cosmetic appearance but they’re closely attached to your heart. Problems or infections in your mouth can lead to heart attacks, heart disease, and blood clots. On top of the health connections, teeth hurt. If you don’t care for your teeth they fucking hurt. Dental work hurts. Root Canals hurt. Getting veneers, yeah that hurts too. Prevention, prevention, prevention. You don’t want to live your life in pain. Plus, how annoying would it be to have to take your teeth out at night and glue them in in the day.. sorry but that’s gross and not how I want to spend my later years.

P.S. Balance:

I heard this quote once and I love it, “You can live to be 100 if you give up all the things that would make you want to live to be 100.” Which is why I kept these things pretty basic and enjoyable. I’m not ever going to tell you to go to bed early or not drink or to stop doing whatever you like to do. “Risky” or not. We can do it all, it’s called balance. You have to enjoy your life, that’s the whole point of this post, but be responsible to yourself now and always so you will always have the ability to do the things that make you happy.

Thank so much for reading!
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Top: Apricot Creek, similar. Skirt: BCBG. Shoes: SCHUTZ.
Bag: Jimmy Choo. Shades: Morgenthal Fredricks.

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