10 Ways to stay young

We all have our personal lists - of the zaniest/quirkiest/
funniest/ craziest/smartest ... We devote this page to them.

This week, Sandra Mazuka is a PR and marketing communication manager at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, lists ...

Stay active: Try to overcome the gloomy thoughts such as "I am so old, I cannot do anything". Get up and explore. Remember every moment and phase in life is enriching. Of course it is true that you are as young (or old) as you feel.

Buy clothes you feel good in: Don't even go down the road of "I can't wear that, I'm so old". If it suits you and you like it, go for it. If you think the shop attendant is trustworthy ask for his/her opinion.

Enjoy life: Don't you occasionally think about what you did at the age of 17? It was a great time, wasn't it? Live for the moment, ten years down the line you will feel the same about your present age.

Just do it!: Stop thinking too much. Banish all those "ifs", "whens" and "buts". Stay young at heart and go for things. If you don't take the initiative you'll not have fun either. You can 'kill' great ideas by 'over thinking' and analysing them too much.

Go for a drive: A typical teenie thing to do. Roadtrip! Try it and you'll feel free. It's something we don't do because we're so much grown up. How boring! Just try it, actually there are plenty of places you can spontaneously explore.

Book a trip and don't plan: Ever decided on a Thursday afternoon to escape for the weekend and hopped on a plane or train? Do it. It is refreshing and keeps you young. And you'll have plenty of stories to tell on your return.

Do things you always wanted to do: Jump off a plane in a parachute or ride in a balloon. Go hiking. This will make you feel good and break the monotony of your routine.

Decorate your house: Experiment with colours and enjoy painting your room. At the end of the day you'll be flashing a 200-watt smile and covered in orange, yellow or green and marvelling at your DIY skills you never knew
you possessed.

Unwind and relax: Do you have this nagging feeling that the monthly report needs to be reviewed, performance appraisals are overdue and the statistics of the month are not in place and can be done while eating dinner? Give it up for a while. It will only bring you closer to a heart attack.

Keep your humour: It will help revive the child in you. Children have amazing easiness and freedom of thought in their humour. Keep that in mind and it will carry you through some tough days.