... hold back the years ...

Some notes on how to look younger

Aging is inevitable, but looking older doesn’t have to be, so ...

Stand tall and look straight ahead  - very good advice, although difficult when I use the top part of my varifocals to see the pavement.

Wear stylish clothes, make them colourful but not fussy.  
Not too tight (or too shapeless and baggy).
Not too short.  
Get fitted for a proper size bra.

Men -
Not pastel, bold stripes
No flashy patterns on jumpers

ha ha - what not to do!!

No blazers with brass buttons
No knitted ties, cardigans 
No sandals with socks
Keep jewellery, denim and leather to a minimum.
(unless any of the many listed above are in fashion this week)

Swing your hips

Have a good night's sleep, taking a nap if necessary

Specs: not shiney, simple styles, not bifocals

Remember to smile

Dye hair to a lighter colour
Women: highlights, no tight perms
Men: have a regular trim

Disguise problem areas - elbow length sleeves and wraps
Lower necklines disguise flabby chin (but not too low, no need to show crep-y cleavage)
Cover your legs
Wear a good swimsuit, with a sarong around the hips
No dark tan

Look after your teeth

Makeup: not too much and wear a sheer shiny base, one tone lighter than before.



... and ... 5 healthy habits to keep you young: (http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=1237)

1. Eat right
2. Wear sunscreen
3. Stay hydrated
4. Drink less alcohol
5. Don't smoke

Other ideas: (http://sixtyandme.com/6-healthy-skin-tips-for-every-woman-over-60/)

Trust Oprah to come up with some common sense: http://www.oprah.com/style/How-to-Get-Great-Skin-Tips-from-Women-with-Beautiful-Skin

Finally - a very good question here - what is my age supposed to look like? It's important not to compare ourselves with the 'celebs' to whom looking good is a full-time (and costly) job. We have other, more important, things to do with our lives! (http://www.xojane.com/beauty/what-exactly-is-my-age-supposed-to-look-like)

Ten tips to take 10 years off your looks 

1. stay out of the sun
2. stop smoking
3. save your teeth
4. control your weight - yoga - meditation
5. drink plenty of water
6. exfoliate regularly
7. get enough sleep
8. ACE vitamins - fresh fruit and vegetables, cereals, pulses, grains, wheaterm, wholemeal bread, brown rise, wholewhat pasta, oily fish, lean meat, offal, pulses and seeds.  Have a raw food meal every day
9. have a facial workout
10. moisturise daily

And, allied to this topic is - how to stay young at heart

Acceptance is key: People who don't accept the fact that they grow old have no chance to getting old in an appropriate way.  You need to learn to accept the changes to your body, and that you are going to get wrinkles.  But if you take care of your body, and don't eat bad things, smoke or drink a lot of alcohol, you will age in a good shape.

Get/Keep physical: It doesn't matter if you don't do any sort of sport; you just need to move your body.  It could be walking, gardening or yoga.  It's important to take care of your wellbeing and stay as active as you can.

Brain train:  You must keep your brain alert.  Even simple things like reading poems or going to lectures will help.  Recent research on Alzheimer's concluded you can keep your neurons in a good state if you organise things.  Plan a dinner with your friends - you'll have to think about who you're inviting, how they're going to sit around the table and what you want to cook.

Unleash your creativity:  Many people, especially in the earlier part of their lives, do not consider themselves creative.  Yet once they retire they discover that they can paint or do something with their hands.  Give it a go - we all have something creative inside us and it's important to let that grow.

Glass half full:  People who always dwell on the bad things in life have very little chance of being young at heart.  You have to learn to look at the positive side, and that starts with being aware that pessimism isn't going to help you.  If you are 60 and realise that negativity will really affect your life, you still have time to change.

Spring-clean your life:  Get rid of negative emotions such as guilt, anger or regret.  Solving the conflicts of your past is very important to feeling young. We all have heavy suitcases of emotions that we carry with us, and if they are full of negative emotions you can't go on. Working through these emotions is still possible at 60, but much harder as you get older.

Live in the present:  Come to terms with the fact that you are going to die one day.  Ageing means you're getting nearer death, but people who accept the fact that they will die one day are not afraid of dying.  They appreciate life much more.  They are able to live in the present, which is a great key to staying young inside.  Have an open attitude filled with curiosity and humour, and realise that you are lucky to grow old.

FoMO


Today's society gives us more choices than ever before.  Social media and social networking introduces new issues that can work with us or against us.  Sometimes this depends on how we deal with them.

One particular phenomenon is the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO.  Research by marketing strategist Dan Herman, who claims to have identified and named the phenomenon, shows that around 70% of adults experience FoMO.

Sarah-Jane Marshall of the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity explains: 'The FoMO experience is based on the fear of 'what will I miss because I don't have the necessary time or money, or because I do have another barrier of some kind?'

She goes on to quote psychologist Arnie Kozak who explains that 'FoMO happens when we invalidate the experience we are having because we're obsessed with the ones we're not having.  Handled positively FoMO can motivate us to seize opportunities and be open to connections with new people.  However, managed badly, FoMO cripples our ability to be fully present because we always have one eye elsewhere, on what could have been or might be instead.'

FoMO can be shown in the big and small decisions of life.  Who has wondered what they are missing when they have been unable to chose not to attend an event?  Who has thought about whether they should have chosen one career option over another?  Or one house and community over another?

One aspect of a busy community is that many people feel obliged to say 'yes' to many more things than they have time and a desire for.  This can lead to a huge amount of stress and even depression.

FoMO is made all the more acute by the use of social media.  Not only are we aware of the event that we chose not to go to, but we can view the photographs that tell us that we are missing what we might perceive to be the event of the year.

There is a great need to step away from the frantic pace of modern life.  You could make a point of not reading those emails until later.  You might make a conscious decision to spend time with the family instead of that event that everyone seems to be going to.  You may turn off your mobile phone!  But one thing that would really help would be to concentrate on the 'now' and not on what we think may be coming.

Also see: 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10061863/FoMo-Do-you-have-a-Fear-of-Missing-Out.html
and 
http://fomofearofmissingout.com/fomo

How work experience opens doors
(from The Telegraph)

Work experience is the bridge between classroom and workplace and can prove invaluable for young people swapping school for the big wide world.

It is a rite of passage in the lives of teenagers around the country: the day they leave behind the security of the classroom to dip their toes into an unfamiliar world in the time-honoured custom of work experience.

Some will be excited  at the prospect of sampling life beyond school, others will be nervous at stepping out of their comfort zone.

But it doesn't have to be an ordeal. Work experience can provide an insight into a different environment.  It can help young people decide if a career is for them.  And it can be very handy when it comes to getting a real job as any embellishment to the CV is likely to be valuable.

Work experience usually involves sending Year 10 students for up to two weeks work experience during the summer at the end of the academic year.

Choosing how to spend work experience time is straightforward for those who already have career plans but many of that age have no idea of what he or she wants to do.

Even for those still in the dark, a placement can be useful as it helps them discover the types of careers that are out there and the pathway to get there, which will then give them an idea of the qualifications they need.

Many students find placements themselves, through friends and family, and any other contacts they may have.  This does show initiative and another reason for tapping contacts is that, with firms shedding staff and reluctant to give extra work supervising students to those who remain, it's increasingly difficult to find companies willing to provide placements.

Those who organise work experience usually visit the workplace before the placement, checking the environment is suitable, that the tasks the young people will be required to do are reasonable, that health and safety regulations are followed and that employers' insurance is adequate.  Employees do not generally need to be checked for any criminal records.

In additional to local bye laws that may affect the sort of work under-16s can do, children on work experience should not normally work for more than 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week.  This limit should take account of any part-time and Saturday jobs.

Work experience must be unpaid, although employers may pay expenses.  Students should be given the chance to experience the full range of the company's activities, and not just photocopying or making the tea.  It should be a realistic exposure to the work place.  Boring tasks can be a part of that, but there should be a learning element to it.

The benefits of work experience can be substantial.  A good placement makes young people more realistic and able to make informed career choices.  It also provides concrete evidence of interest in a particular career to both university admissions officers and future employers.

While work experience helps young people align their skills with what employers are looking for, the benefits are not limited to one industry as work experience is always a good thing, regardless of where it is.  The young person is getting up every day, coming into work and doing the routine elements of work.

But there is also a more immediate impact on the students, one that is often visible in the immediate aftermath of students' first placements:  They grow up and become noticeably more mature.  It helps them see what they have to do and think about in the long term.


Here are some important dos and don't of how to get the most out of work experience ...

Act professionally:  Turn up on time, follow the dress code, if there is one, stick to prescribed breaks, do not complain of being bored and expect to stay until the end of the working day.

Be realistic about what you will be doing:  There is likely to be an amount of routine involved and not all of the tasks you do will be scintillating.

If you finish one task, instead of  waiting until you're given another one, ask what else you can do.

If you have any concerns, talk to your supervisor, or contact the school or placement organiser to sort it out.

PARENTS

DO talk to your child about what careers interest them and what placements might be relevant.
DO encourage your son or daughter to take responsibility for getting to their placement on time and suitably dressed.
DO make sure the employers knows of any medical issues.
DO provide support and encouragement but take a back seat so children can stand on their own two feet.

DON'T push your child into a placement because you think it's the sort of thing they ought to do, or because your happen to have a cousin in that field.
DON'T rush to collect your child from their placement at the first sign he or she is unhappy.  Encourage him or her to resolve problems with the employer first, or to involve the school if that is not possible.


EMPLOYERS

DO plan what students will do.  This helps make the placement worthwhile, and also means you do not have to start from scratch every time.
DO give one employee overall responsibility for a person on placement - this can help develop supervisory skills in staff, while avoiding students being shunted between unwilling hosts.
DO try to provide a varied programme that takes in as much of the department's work as possible.
DO set a project or task to complete during a work placement.

DON'T make it too formal or create a programme that is too rigid: the idea is to introduce them to a new environment, not to replicate school.
DON'T use work experience to replace an existing job.


also see:
cipd.co.uk
hse.gov.uk/youngpeople/faqs.htm
youongworker.co.uk