I was not keen on writing this blog post at first as I do not feel that giving out hacks and advice related to topics such as fashion or beauty is my cup of tea. But a recent conversation with my college best friend Apple caused a #LightbulbMoment in my head. In the middle of my conversation with her, she mentioned a question I never expected to hear from my 13-year-old godson, Ace. 

"Bakit parang hindi tumatanda si Ninang?"

True to her funny Mourning Bolera moniker, Apple provided all sorts of candid responses. From saying it's because I don't have a husband and kids who would annoy me daily (which might be among the reasons!) to telling Ace that I bathe in blood the way Elizabeth Báthory did (seriously, she said that to her son!). But that question of Ace left me chuckling. 

As of this writing, I am about three and a half years shy of hitting 40. So it surprised me to find out that my inaanak has such inquiry. The truth is, I started having that "I'm already old" mindset more than a decade ago. Yup. I started thinking that I'm already old when I was just 25.

To be fair to my inaanak, I don't have those "celebrity secrets" that other people follow. Nor do I stock up water from the mythical "fountain of youth". Instead, I live on the usual life hacks that others tend to follow and this post lists a few of those.

First and foremost, I indulge in sleep! I am more of a sleep person than a foodie. And if there's a blessing I see out of the ongoing pandemic, it's that I was able to get the healthy amount of sleep that I need each night unlike a year ago when I do my daily activities running on four to five hours of shut-eye every night. 

I have a love-hate relationship with the sun. Basking in sunlight has both good and bad repercussions. But I try to balance both. According to a book I read last year, one rule to follow is "the longer your shadow, the longer you can stay under the sun. When I can wake up early (because I do some of my tasks at night), I try to stand under the sun for 10-15 minutes. And when there's the need to leave the house at a time when the sun is the harshest, I utilize two things: a bit of sunscreen and my trusty umbrella. 

A healthy diet helps. Aside from getting the right amount of sleep, another lockdown lesson I learned was observing healthy eating habits. Unlike that time when I worked in an office where takeout food was part of the daily grind, the lockdown and its restrictions that limit the urge to go out and grab oily fast food staples in some ways, did me something good because not just it disconnects me from the sinful stuff, I got to really appreciate and enjoy home cooked meals as well. but since I'm also an ordinary human being, I also give in to cheat day cravings once in a while -- but still at a minimum. 

A little skincare routine won't hurt. While I am a sucker of Korean dramas and can watch lengthy episodes, I, unfortunately, don't have the patience of a saint to stick to the kind of skincare routines that Koreans do (12 steps yun guys!). So I try to keep it simple and just use three things: cleanser, toner, and night cream. And no matter how late it is, I don't sleep with makeup on, or without washing my face before going to bed. Nothing is more annoying than waking up with that sticky feeling on your face from the grime and makeup left the night before.

Move it. Sadly, this is the downside that the pandemic inflicted on me because unlike when I was employed where I get to do repeated walkathons every day, exercise got shelved from my routine. But thanks to one of my favorite bloggers, Mommy Fleur, I discovered fitness hacks from Emi Wong and had started on some of the routines. And since I have a morning playlist on Spotify dedicated to dance music, I get to use that too -- yup! I dance either in the comfort of my bedroom or in the kitchen while preparing my breakfast! 

Drink like a fish...but in moderation!  And by drink, I am referring to water. When I got sick around two months ago, next to being prescribed antibiotics, one of the advice my doctor gave me was to drink lots of water. And more than just preventing dehydration and heat stroke (especially now that it's summer), keeping myself hydrated does a few good things to my skin too!

Give in to what (you) enjoy. May it be getting your hands dirty in your chosen hobby, reading a favorite book over and over again or ogling over that Kdrama oppa -- from the likes of Hyun Bin, Lee Min-ho, or in my case, Ji Chang-wook(!), surrendering to life's little pleasures is important to our happiness. And like what other people would say when you are happy, it radiates to your whole being -- that youthful look is just a cherry on the cake.

The company you keep also contributes to it. It might be a cliché, but it still holds to be true. You're only as good as the company you keep. Being with the type of people whose wavelength matches yours does matter. I'm fortunate to have made friends with like-minded people (two of them are authors!) who I get to talk to about many things (yes, we talk about anything and EVERYTHING under the sun!). And with regards to this, I realized that my mind can keep up with their minds and their thoughts. I even have a friend who I thought was just a few years ahead of me (by age) only to be surprised by the revelation that he's a few years shy of hitting 50. Proof that meeting of minds isn't limited to those within the same age brackets. Appreciate meaningful conversations with friends because somehow, their views and opinions shape up and contribute to your view of the world. And with the ongoing struggle, we are in, having friends on standby for a quick chat or video call just to talk to or crack jokes with can somehow ease the emotional burden we all are going through.  

So there it is. Not big-time secrets of the rich and famous, right? I only incorporate things that can even be done at home. While youth is the gift of nature, age on the other hand is a work of art. It's just a matter of how I embrace it -- and just like what I learned in the book, Confessions of an Impatient Bride years ago, you just have to love yourself -- warts, moles, gray hair, and all. And whatever you don't love, if you've got the money, you can just go see a derma like Vicky Belo to fix it :-) Makes sense, right?