Stress is one of the biggest triggers of premature aging. Collagen, which gives our skin its elasticity and structure, naturally slows down as we age, but spiked stress levels can accelerate the process. You may not realize it, but these common habits in your daily routine can secretly cause stress and anxiety, which can trigger inflammation in the body, damaging the DNA of our skin cells and breaking down collagen.
1. Stop Skipping Breakfast
When you skip breakfast, it can lead to low blood sugar levels, which increases irritability and triggers stress. A nutritious breakfast fuels your body, provides vital nutrients to your skin and brain, and gives you energy for the day. Eat an anti-oxidant-rich breakfast full of fruit, healthy fats like nuts and avocado, and leafy greens. A kale or spinach smoothie with banana will do wonders for your skin, boost your mood, and ward off anxiety. Give processed meats like sausage and bacon a miss, as they are carcinogenic and can increase your risk of cancer.
2. Don’t Overload Your Schedule
Being unrealistic about your time and trying to pack too many tasks into your day can be overwhelming and stressful. Learn to prioritize and allocate realistic timeframes so you don’t overload your schedule and end up a stressed-out, anxious mess. This will save your mental health and your skin.
3. Get Off the Couch
A lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle contributes to stress and anxiety. On the other hand, regular physical activity releases endorphins, which are happy hormones that are natural mood lifters. If your daily routine lacks exercise, you are missing out on these benefits and not getting your blood pumping or circulation moving, which can lead to dull, aged skin.
4. Master Time Management
Poor time management can put you in a constant state of stress and anxiety. When that happens, your body produces more cortisol, the stress hormone that can disrupt your hormones and impact the health and condition of your skin. Organize your schedule ahead of time and be realistic about how long tasks take so you aren’t constantly rushing around and falling behind. It’s also essential to take regular breaks to ground and center yourself. Try some deep breathing exercises to induce calm and avoid your body and skin becoming overwhelmed by stress.
5. Never Neglecting Self-Care
Failing to incorporate self-care into your daily routine can lead to emotional dysregulation, stress, and burnout. Calming practices like meditation, reading, or taking a relaxing bath can reduce stress and reset your nervous system. A healthy mind and body equals healthy glowing skin.
6. Be Mindful of Multitasking
Trying to multitask and do a million things at once can lead to mistakes, reduced productivity, and increased stress and anxiety. Be more mindful and realistic, and focus on completing one task at a time. When your brain is overwhelmed, your body and skin go into stress mode, which can trigger premature aging.
7. Implement a Bedtime Routine
A lack of sleep and not having a consistent bedtime can mess with your body’s circadian rhythms and send stress levels soaring. Not sleeping enough—you need 7-9 hours of interrupted Zzzs per night. It impairs the skin’s ability to repair and rejuvenate itself overnight and also impacts your mental health.
8. Eat a Balanced Diet
You really are what you eat. If you consume excessive caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and junk food, it can exacerbate stress and cause inflammation in the body, which can damage healthy skin cells. These foods also lead to energy crashes and mood swings, which makes it hard to navigate challenges. A balanced diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins, healthy fats, and omega-3 fatty acids has skin-boosting and stress-busting benefits.
9. End Negative Thinking
A negative mindset and always thinking the worst can induce stress and anxiety. Constantly focusing on past mistakes and worse scenarios affects your mental health and increases stress hormones in your body. Practice gratitude by journaling, which has proven to shift your perspective and make you feel more happy and positive, which can make you live longer and look younger.
10. Strike the Work-Life Balance
When the lines between work and personal life are blurred, it can lead to chronic stress. Set boundaries and time limits to ensure you have time to relax and unwind. Without a work-life balance, you may feel perpetually stressed, which can lead to burnout, poor mental health, and prematurely aged skin.
11. Make Connection Your Mantra
Spending too much time alone or not engaging in social activities can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Connecting with friends and having a strong support network emotional support helps reduce stress and makes you happier. Make time for social interactions to boost your mood and mental health, and watch how you look and feel better.
12. Recognize the Warning Signs
Ignoring signs of stress, such as fatigue, headaches, irritability, and lack of interest and motivation, can lead to depression and more health issues. It’s important to recognize and address these signs early, so your mental and physical health doesn’t take a nose dive. Listen to your body, practice self-care, and engage a therapist if you feel low.
13. Take a Break
Working for long periods without taking a break to relax and reset can lead to physical and mental exhaustion. Take regular breaks to refresh your mind and body and keep stress and anxiety at bay. Go for a walk outside, do some gentle stretches, listen to a meditation track, or take some deep breaths to unwind and restore inner calm.
14. Being Lax with Your Skincare
You need a consistent daily skincare routine to fight aging and keep your complexion youthful and glowing. At a minimum, cleanse morning and night with an anti-aging serum and a nourishing firming moisturizer. Look to clean organic skincare ingredients that are scientifically proven to firm, hydrate, and repair the skin, like vitamin C, peptides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide. It’s also important to exfoliate the skin 2-3 times per week to remove dead skin cells, boost radiance, and allow your skincare to penetrate deeper.
15. Forgetting to Apply SPF
Prevention is often better than cure. To protect your skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays, which can damage the cell’s DNA and speed up aging, apply an SPF sunscreen to your face, neck, and hands every day, regardless of the weather. Sun exposure, like stress, is a significant cause of premature aging and can also increase your risk of skin cancer.