I feel younger than I am

At what point do we begin to dissociate mental age from physical age? When do you first say out loud the phrase: “I feel younger than I am”?

Myriam, from SKINVITY, tells us this anecdote: “I remember a comment my mother made, which must have been many years ago but has stuck in my memory. She was standing in front of the mirror, getting ready—she always instilled in me the importance of self-care—and I was watching her in silence. At one point she sighed and said, ‘I don’t recognize myself; the person reflected in the mirror isn’t me. In my mind, I look much younger.’ I thought she was teasing me, but now that the years are passing for me too, I’m starting to feel that, in the not-too-distant future, I might be the one saying that same thing.”

It's not an isolated phenomenon; legions of women, once they're over 45, stop accepting their older selves, resisting the idea of ​​accepting that more aged reflection as their own . But it's not just a physical issue, it's also about attitude. Madonna, at 64, is constantly criticized on social media for behavior that many consider inappropriate for her age.

Subjective age—as it's called—is the age, different from chronological age, that a person feels they are. It's not when we were born that matters, but how we feel.

It's a concept that starts to gain traction around age 55, and experts say that maintaining a subjective age about 10 years lower than your actual age contributes to a better sense of well-being. It's not about wanting to be, like in the movie, "Forever Young." But a little extra youthfulness seems fantastic.

We tend to associate rebellion, sexuality, and a thirst for adventure with youth. But we here are asserting that these attributes aren't exclusive to any one age group, and if at 55 you feel like living life to the fullest, then good for you!

It makes sense: living with a youthful spirit keeps you younger. And we're not talking about excess, mind you, but about attitudes like being sociable, surrounding yourself with people of different ages, having new experiences, and maintaining a sense of wonder at your surroundings, whether it's a sunset or contemplating a work of art in a museum. Enthusiasm is like the fuel that keeps us going.

On a more physical level, continuing to nurture your self-care and strive to be your best self— because there's always a new, better version —also rejuvenates us. It could be a different lipstick color than the one you've been using for years, a new look, or signing up for dance classes. It could be incorporating a cosmetic device into your life, daring to take a technological leap that's as unfamiliar as it is exciting.

Sixty is the new forty. Let's drink to that.