Don’t worry about getting older — worry about getting healthier

Age is a pretty sensitive topic, especially for us women. We can’t help it, but it’s true. Once you hit that “certain age,” your worry worm syndrome about your appearance starts to kick in. You start to notice things, like the crow’s feet at the corner of the eyes. The extra belly fat that just won’t seem to go away no matter how much you diet or exercise. The more visible veins on the legs (you know, the ones that seem to have appeared out of nowhere). The gray hair popping through every now and again (that you almost immediately pluck with the tweezers you keep in your purse as soon as your eye catches that glimmer of a silver strand). Yup, it’s tough when you are your own worst critic.

But here’s the advice I try to give myself (over and over again, if necessary): Put the worry to good use and do something healthy for yourself. For example, when I’m worried about the dark circles under my eyes, I don’t just cover it up with makeup and keep going. I remind myself to think about what’s causing the dark circles. Is it the stress from the week? Is it lack of sleep? Is it worry over a family member or friend? Once I get down to the root of the problem, I take positive steps to help reverse it. I go to bed earlier, drink more water, focus on eating better, and I talk to someone about my problems. A few days of that beauty ritual—and presto chango—the dark circles are greatly diminished. Plus, I feel a lot better too—which, of course, makes getting healthier worth the effort.

Celeste Jo Walls, Editor