ANTI-AGEING MIND GAMES

Change your beliefs
Is what you are saying to yourself useful? Remember that something is only the truth until new information comes along to contradict it. To change a belief, you must first identify exactly what it is that is working against you. 'I am too old to join a running', 'It is all downhill from here', etc. Then come up with a positive contradiction that will give you energy rather than drain you: 'I am 20 years younger than many marathon runners', 'I feel better than I did five years ago'. Write it down, repeat it at least five times a day, and start collecting evidence to support it. Even if your new belief is not completely true right now, keep thinking and acting as if it is. And whenever you catch yourself focusing on what you no longer want to think, switch your focus by asking: What could be a more helpful way of looking at this?

Become an optimist
Think of an area of your life that you tend to be optimistic about (work, relationships, friends). What results do you usually get in this area? Now think of an area where you tend to be pessimistic. What results do you usually get in this area? The simple fact is this: if you tell yourself something is easy to do, it probably will be. Now you can see how you create your own results, choose something about yourself you would like to feel better about - your health, your fitness, your weight - and switch your attitude towards it. For the next month, whenever you think about this area, expect good things (I'm never ill', I'm getting fitter every day', 'I look better in my clothes already'). When negative thoughts reappear, simply accept them and then quickly go back to your positive expectations. When you trust things will turn out well, they very often do.

Act the age you want to be
so, here is the challenge. Pick the age you want to be (it is most realistic to reduce your chronological age by anything up to 10 years), and then begin thinking that age, Say 'I only feel......' five times a day. Dress more like you did then (unless your recent past includes PCV trousers!), update your make-up, and ask your hairdresser to take 10 years off you. Rediscover your childhood self and do things you have not done (or allowed yourself to do) for years. What did you love doing 10 years ago? Clubbing? Going to festivals? Bowling? Camping? Running? Live your new age for at least a month, and see how you feel at the end.

Value yourself
A youthful body needs high-quality fuel, so eat as many anti-ageing foods a day as possible, and avoid the ones that accelerate ageing. If you find it difficult to treat your body with this level of respect, you need to take another look at your unconscious beliefs. Why do you believe you do not deserve the very best? Who are you still rebelling against? You now know how much your thoughts matter, so go back to 'Change your beliefs' (above) and come up with a positive switch. 'I value myself enough to only eat food that keeps me young and healthy' is a good start. Acting as if everything you do in your life matters really does make a lasting difference to what you are prepared to do (or are no longer prepared to do) to yourself.

Recapture your Youth
Remember how carefree you were as a child, with loads of fun and no responsibilities? You may be grown-up now, but that does not mean you cannot stay young at heart.

Be spontaneous
As a child you did whatever came into your head that made you feel good. Now you have to plan three days ahead just to phone your best friend. Your week may feel like a never-ending to-do list, but that does not mean you cannot find time to escape your diary. Unfortunately, the minute you plan something it stops being spontaneous, so instead plan for nothing. Leave a day at the weekend completely free, and then when you wake up in the morning ask yourself what exciting things you will do today. The only rule is that they must make you feel good, just like when you were a child.

Play more
A playful adulthood (even more than a playful childhood) will boost your happiness levels, and more play in your life is now known to help you live longer, too. Play helps you test out situations, skills and emotions without the consequences being too serious, which helps you in the real world as well. Play is not passive (like sitting in front of the TV); it is energetic and creative. So do not just sit and watch your (or a friend's) children play. Get in there and join in. Or play with your dog. Engage your friends in a game of charades. Or indulge in the ultimate adult play - brainstorming - at work or with friends and family. Keep the atmosphere relaxed and friendly, and encourage everyone to say whatever comes into their heads.

Be fearless
Remember when you dangled from that tree in the garden by one leg? Nowadays just putting the rubbish out in the dark scares you. Children are born fearless, and they learn fear along the way. Some of this is good (those branches probably were not that strong), but fear can stop you doing so many things that would improve your happiness. If you are making excuses not to do something look at what is behind your reaction. Chances are it is a fear of looking stupid, or failing, or being rejected, or just being out of your comfort zone. But this is the only way you achieve things in life. Ask yourself: What would I do if I was not afraid? Then work out the worst possible scenario. What if you did not get that job you applied for? What if your date does not ask for another? If you can handle that, then you really have nothing to fear.

Laugh more
Children laugh around 300 times a day, compared to adults, who manage a measly 17. But laughter is seriously good for you. It reduces stress hormones in your body, enhances immunity, releases toxins, relaxes muscle tension and significantly improves your mood. Plus an hour spent laughing could burn off as many as 300 calories. As children we cry with laughter, but if you cannot remember the last time you had a big belly laugh, you need to set it up to happen. When life's all too serious you need something to switch your mood. So listen to a DJ who makes you laugh in the mornings, phone your funniest friend at lunchtime, visit a comedy club in the evening or curl up on the sofa and watch a DVD of your favourite comedy show or stand-up comedian. A smile is the most inexpensive way to improve your looks, after all......

Living in the Moment
Spend your time in the past and nothing will ever seem as good as it was, not to mention making yourself feel ancient ('I remember back in 1982...'). Spend your time in the future and you will just miss your life as it is happening. Children live in the moment and regret nothing. Not so adults, but you cannot change the past and you certainly cannot see into the future, so the best option is to take control of what is going on right under your nose.

Life is almost always fine in the present moment. Unless you are reading this standing in the path of an oncoming car, chances are everything is OK right where you are. So stop wasting energy on what you cannot control, and instead concentrate on creating your life one day at a time to get the very best out of every single moment. Now is always the only time you can take action.

Decide to have a great day
This may sound simple, but you really do choose how you are going to feel every day. So if your intention is to have a good day, then that is probably what will happen. Do what it takes to start positive: play an upbeat CD while you are in the shower, eat your favourite breakfast, wear your best underwear, say 'I love you' to your self in the mirror (watch your feelings when you do this - it says a lot about how you feel about yourself!). And remember you can change your perspective at any moment, so if you find yourself assuming the worst about a situation, ask yourself: What else is possible? You may not be able to change the situation but you can change your attitude towards it, and that is often all that is needed.

Give yourself something good to look forward to
Before getting out of bed, inspire yourself by deciding on your treats for the day. A walk in the park at lunchtime, lunch at your favourite cafe, a new magazine to read on the bus, a glass of wine in the bath before bed. Chances are the rest of your day will be taken up with tasks and chores for other people, so slipping in some stuff for yourself goes without saying. Making sure you do at least one thing that either feels great or produces great results (and preferably both) every day.

Fill your time with people and things you enjoy
Make a list of the most wonderful people you know and see or speak to at least one of them every day. Only eat food you really enjoy, and stop eating the minute you stop enjoying it. Read books and magazines you love (if you are bored by page 10, ditch it), and compile playlists of your favourite tunes. Life's too short to spend on things you do not enjoy (which might mean saying 'no' a lot more often, too).

Expect good things to happen
We may not be able to create everything that happens in our lives, but we can certainly create how we view it. Our reality is really only our perception. The same day can happen to two people and they will view it in a completely different way. One will see the problems, the other the fun and opportunities, and no prize for guessing who enjoys life more. Do your see the world as an unfriendly place? If so, take a day off from upsetting yourself and decide to see the best for a change. You never know, it might even happen.

Long-life habits

1. Get a morning kiss. Studies have found that people who enjoy a goodbye kiss are likely to live five years longer than those who leave the house without one.
2. Eat potassium-rich food every day. High-potassium foods such as bananas, raisin and potatoes lower blood pressure, which significantly increases life expectancy.
3. Garden or spring-clean for five hours a week. Both activities burn on average five calories a minute, and studies have shown that people who burn 1,500 calories a week on gentle activities live 1.6 years longer than average.
4. Drink tea daily. Studies of heart-attack sufferers found their risk of another in the next three years was cut by 44% if they drank tow cups of antioxidant-rich tea a day.
5. Become a vegetarian. Whether it is due to less fat or more fruit, vegetables and wholegrains in their diet, vegetarians live seven years longer than meat-eaters.
6. Eat a low-cholesterol diet. Studies say that people who live to 100 tend to have the lowest cholesterol, so cut down on your fat intake and eat carrots, apples and avocados, which have all been shown to lower cholesterol levels.
7. Have at least six close friends or family members. People who do not have friends for support die up to 10 years earlier than more sociable souls.
8. Get a pet. Owing a pet helps you live longer, even when you have suffered a major illness. A study found that heart-attack sufferers increased their chances of being alive one year later by nearly five times if they owned a pet.
9. Drink alcohol in moderate amounts, but not in excess. Research has estimated that one or two alcoholic drinks a day (wine or beer) cut your risk of heart disease by 60%, but women who regularly drink more than their recommended 14 units a week die to 10 years sooner than more moderate drinkers.
10. Learn to breathe more deeply. Studies have found that people who breathe deepest live longest, as deep breathing slows your heart rate and a slow heartbeat is associated with a longer life.
11. Eat a breakfast that includes wholegrain cereal or toast. Eating wholegrains cuts your risk of heart disease and cancer by 30%, adding an average of three years to your life.
12. Floss your teeth daily. According to anti-ageing expert, flossing your teeth reduces your risk of heart disease as the bacteria that cause gum disease also contribute to inflammation of the arteries.
13. Eat chocolate in moderation. Studies have found that people who eat chocolate three times a week live five years longer than those who either do not eat or eat more. This is probably due to chocolate's high antioxidant count, which is even higher than in fruit!
14. Stop smoking. It is estimated that every cigarette you smoke knocks 11 minutes off your life. And, according to pressure group ASH, women tend to smoke low-tar cigarettes, which makes them more prone to a particularly dangerous form of lung-cancer.
15. Stay away from smokers. It has been estimated that a night spent in a smoky room is the equivalent of smoking four cigarettes yourself.
16. Go for regular health checks. This significantly increases your chance of surviving a major illness. Around 50% fewer women die of cervical cancer now that screening is widely available, and a mammogram can detect breast lumps two years before self-examination.
17. Stay a healthy weight. It has been calculated that every pound you are overweight knocks 36 days off your life. Studies have also found that eating significantly fewer calories (1,000-1,100 a day) can extend your life by up to 15 years.

Studies have found that people who eat chocolate three times a week live five years longer than those who either do not eat any or eat more.