Do you consider yourself a perfectionist? I must admit, I have a bit of a perfectionist streak in me. It’s something I’m learning to resist. In fact, Dr. Mollie Marti, founder of BestLifeDesign.com, recently suggested that I “strive for excellence, not perfection.”¹ I let that sink in and realized we don’t have to be perfect. Perfection is totally unattainable anyway, so why not be the most “excellent” we can be in all areas, including the way we look and feel?

People ask me all the time, “What is Aging Backwards? It sounds like a great idea, but too much work.” The reality is, you can look and feel younger with minimal effort if you break it down into small, manageable daily habits, striving for excellence rather than perfection. Here are just a few practical and realistic tips for looking and feeling younger and healthier, excellently:

1) Free hormone balancing. They don’t call it “beauty rest” for nothing! Our bodies seem to tune up while we’re sleeping. Sleep deprivation has actually been shown to alter the production and action of hormones. Sleep is essential for repair and rejuvenation and experts say 7-8 hours is optimal. How can you get the best rest? Keep your room dark — light disrupts the production of the important hormone melatonin, which helps regulate your natural sleep cycle.³ For better sleep, stay off your cell phone, especially at night. A Swedish and U.S. study suggests that using your cell phone too close to bedtime actually interrupts your sleep.⁶ And yes, regular exercise helps you sleep better.

2) Lose the stress. According to WebMD.com, 75 to 90 percent of all doctors’ visits are due to stress-related ailments and complaints.² That’s huge! Chronic stress is not only detrimental to your health, but it also ages you. Stress can bring on a variety of skin issues, from acne to excess dryness to dull-looking skin and frown lines. Some doctors even think stress may be the primary cause of unexplained hair loss. So, what can you do for instant stress relief? Without even realizing it, many people clench their jaws when feeling stressed. Try these quick and easy jaw exercises: 1) Open your mouth as wide as you can, hold for three seconds, repeat for a total of three times. 2) Try to open your mouth, but resist with your hands three times. 3) Massage the joint in the middle of your face where your jaw hinges. 4) Massage the muscles under your ears behind your jaw.

3) Get involved. Studies show that socializing is good for your brain. To quote an article in The Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, “The more participants interacted socially by talking to and visiting friends and relatives, the better their performance on the measure of cognitive functioning.”⁴ In another study in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, a University of California, Los Angeles team found that for middle-aged and older people, using the internet helps boost brain power.⁵ So, here’s my take: combine socializing and the internet (social media) on sites such as Twitter (follow me — @AgingBackwards), have Tweetups IRL (in real life), and you’ve got the makings of a mega-brain!

You can see that getting some sleep, reducing stress and socializing are three easy habits that can deliver excellent benefits. Perfectionism = stress. Striving for excellence = healthy challenge.

References

1. http://bestlifedesign.com/.
2. http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/effects-of-stress-on-your-body.
3. U.S. News & World Report http://tinyurl.com/cduzzw.
4. http://psp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/34/2/248.
5. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7667610.stm.
6. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/01/19/Study-Cell-phone-use-disrupts-sleep/UPI-35911200801525/

[Ed. note: Jackie Silver is aging backwards. She shares her secrets, tips, and shortcuts on her web site, AgingBackwards.com, in her new book, Aging Backwards: Secrets to Staying Young, on the syndicated TV show, Daytime, on Clear Channel radio's Mix 100.7, in The Tampa Tribune and as a sought-after speaker. For more information, click here.]

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