Young people think they’re invincible. They take risks, eat greasy foods without a second thought, and don’t consider that those unhealthy things they’re enjoying today have lasting impacts.
Unfortunately, we usually don’t learn until we’re in our 40s and beyond, when those terrible life decisions start to catch up to us.
If you’re in your 20s (and even 30s – heck, no matter what your age!), take heart!
We’ve identified the worst habits that age you so you can stop them before it’s too late.
Habits that Age You Faster
Everyone ages (if we’re lucky – it’s far better than the alternative!). But some folks wear 50 way better than others.
Of course, genetics play a role, but our lifestyle habits have an even greater impact – especially because we can control them.
And that’s the good news. There’s still time to drop the habits that age you faster and choose healthier alternatives.
Here’s how.
Chair Life
Americans live a sedentary life. We sit in our cars on the way to the office, spend 8 hours in our office chairs, then come home and sink into our couches for some TV (or let’s be real – doomscrolling) before we do it all over again.
And it’s killing us.
I get that we have to work, and we have to get there, but there’s a lot we can do to avoid a sedentary lifestyle despite those limitations.
Get a stand-up desk. Take ten-minute stretching breaks. Use your lunch break to take a walk. Work out for an hour after work, and spend your weekends hiking, boating, gardening, or doing anything else that gets you moving.
No matter what your work or commute is like, you can find an hour a day to move your body.
No Hobbies
Young people building their careers and middle-aged people in the thick of jobs and families often ignore their interests, claiming they don’t have time to engage.
That’s a mistake.
We need positive things in our lives. Hobbies give us something productive to enjoy in our spare time, keep our minds engaged, and provide a sense of purpose.
They give us something to live for.
Make time for the things you love in every stage of your life. It will help you build community, keep your mind sharp, and give you something to strive for in your golden years.
Need help finding a new hobby? We’ve got you covered. We have hobby lists out the wazoo! Explore creative hobby ideas. If you need friends, try a social hobby. Want something different? Check out our unique hobby ideas. Or search for “hobbies” in our search panel and find all the wonderful ideas of things to do.
Loud Events
Young folks are too cool to wear ear protection at rock concerts, but they pay the price later.
Too much of a good thing, especially loud music, is horrible for long-term hearing. Many people who enjoyed concerts in their youth develop tinnitus as they age.
Ear protection may not look cool, but it will prevent your ears from aging faster.
Bad Diet
There’s nothing wrong with indulging in a greasy burger now and then, but when you hit 40, your body won’t be able to handle it anymore.
Swap the burger for a salad once a week. Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. Make sure you’re getting enough protein and fiber.
It’s easier to cultivate healthy eating habits when you’re young. Don’t wait until you’re sick all the time to try to change your diet; change it now. I did (albeit in my 40s 🥺) and lost nearly 20 lbs.!
A healthier diet in your twenties will slow aging, ensuring you live a longer, healthier life.
Junk Food
Junk food is part of a bad diet, but it deserves its own mention. I’m guilty of indulging in horribly unhealthy foods, but it destroys our bodies, especially as we age.
You have to lay off the chips, pop, donuts, and candy. I know, it’s easy and delicious, but it is so bad for you, and reaching for the unhealthy snacks definitely tops the list of habits that age you.
Junk food bursts with empty calories and chemicals designed to keep you munching. You can eat half a day’s worth of calories in one sitting without even realizing it.
I’m not saying to give them up completely (I sure haven’t!), but don’t make them a daily habit.
Find healthier alternatives to your favorite indulgences.
Ultra-Processed Foods
This is the last thing I’ll say about food – I promise!
You need to lay off the ultra-processed stuff. It’s not just junk food either. It’s frozen pizzas, deli meat, instant ramen, margarine, soda, hot dogs, and even some breads.
And it’s hard – trust me, I know. I love sandwiches, but I never considered how bad they are for you. You think you’re eating healthy because you chose “fat-free” or “sugar-free” options or found that product in the “health foods” aisle, but much of it is a scam.
It’s insidious because it’s so easy, and because we think we’re making smarter choices, but eating mostly ultra-processed foods is a bad habit that will age you faster – especially your internal organs.
Instead, eat fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, salads, eggs, milk, and the bread that goes stale in two days (pop it in the fridge to help it last longer!).
Ignoring Your Teeth
Nobody likes the dentist (except Bill Murray in Little Shop of Horrors), but the earlier you go and maintain good dental hygiene, the better. Nothing makes you look older than not having any teeth.
Putting off dental work will only exacerbate the problems. It also negatively affects your overall health, potentially leading to a wide range of illnesses, from cardiovascular disease to diabetes.
Make oral hygiene a habit. Get your teeth cleaned every six months and fix minor problems before they become significant.
Spending All Your Money
You should start saving for retirement with your very first paycheck. The magic of compounding interest means the earlier you start, the less you have to save overall.
If you haven’t started saving yet, it’s not too late. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the second-best time is today. Examine your budget and find ways to cut back so you can send something – anything – into a retirement savings account.
I know what you’re thinking. How is spending all your money a habit that ages you faster?
That’s simple – money problems are one of the biggest causes of stress for everyone. And guess what stress does? That’s right – it ages you.
But it’s not only that – having a fat nest egg will let you quit a job that taxes your physical health, make healthier lifestyle choices, and see doctors when you need them.
Ignoring Your Friends and Family
Loneliness causes a despair we wear on our faces for the rest of our lives. It can also increase your risk of dementia, cardiovascular disease, and early mortality, according to Psychology Today.
And so much of it is self-inflicted. We ignore our closest friends and family members because the pressures of work, school, and child rearing become too much. We lose ourselves in romantic relationships, ignoring the people who care about us the most.
Don’t fall into the trap. Your family and friends will be increasingly important as you age. Don’t neglect them in your 20s and 30s.
Maintain contact with the people who matter to you. Make an effort to call and visit them. Show them that they matter.
When the kids are grown, and you’re ready to retire, you’ll be thankful for the lasting community you’ve built. Having a variety of friends will keep you feeling young.
Treating People Poorly
Treating people poorly is a nasty habit that may not impact you while you’re young, but will definitely come home to roost as you age.
We can give young adults a pass for rude behavior, but if you don’t learn to treat others respectfully, you’ll enter your senior years with no one in your corner.
That means the older you get, the fewer friends you will have, and the lonelier you will be. Nobody will want to hang out with you or support you because you developed the awful habit of being rude to everyone around you when you were younger, and refuse to break it now.
Dump your ego and give other people space to exist. Become someone other people want to be around, and you’re less likely to be lonely in old age.
Too Much Partying
Young people can stay up partying until the wee hours of dawn, catch an hour of sleep, then return to work the next day with nary a hangover.
Once you reach middle age, those nights are over. Hangovers last for days. Missing even an hour of sleep throws off your entire schedule.
Find something more productive to do with your time while you’re still young enough to enjoy it. Those empty bottles and sleepless nights will eventually catch up to you.
Drinking
Drinking seems fun now, but it can lead to serious health problems as you age. Drinking causes liver damage, heart disease, and increases your risk for certain cancers.
And it makes you look awful. I once dated an alcoholic, and the damage the drink did to his face alone was harrowing. He looked twenty years older than he was.
I’m not saying you can’t enjoy a tasty adult beverage every now and again, but please, do it in moderation. The more you indulge, the harder it will be to stop and the more likely you’ll cause long-term damage to your health.
Smoking
It boggles my mind that young people still pick up cigarettes. Okay, you’re right, they “vape,” which is probably worse.
I have a cousin who smoked her entire life. She sounded like an 80-year-old woman by the time she was 25. Her skin looks sallow, discolored, dried out, and saggy.
And that’s just what cigarettes do to your physical appearance! They age your internal organs as well, leading to lung disease, heart disease, and issues with basically every single organ you have.
No Water
“DRIIIIIINK WAAAATEEER!”
I’ll never forget the pseudo-drill sergeants sing-songing “Drink Water!” every five minutes during my army training. On the plus side, they instilled a lifelong love of the precious liquid.
But far too many people don’t drink enough. They gulp down pop, coffee, juice, and all sorts of sugary beverages, but refuse to drink the one thing we need most.
Too many people live their lives in a chronic state of dehydration. It dries out the skin, causing physical signs of aging, but also harms overall health.
People who don’t drink enough water have low energy, which inhibits physical activity. In addition, they eat because they’re thirsty, putting on extra calories, and sometimes even experience brain fog.
All this can be avoided by just drinking more water.
Not Taking Care of Yourself
Most of us have so much going on that we ignore the person who matters most: ourselves.
It’s one of the anti-habits that age you faster, because it’s more of something we don’t do than something we do.
Lack of self-care leads to increased stress, moodiness, and lack of energy. It puts us in a general state of malaise, preventing us from doing things that are actually good for us.
Build healthy self-care habits when you’re young. Take an hour a week to pamper yourself. Show yourself that you matter. Make it a part of your life as soon as possible, and you’ll age more gracefully.
Helplessness
Life will throw you curveballs, and the sooner you learn to handle them, the better off you will be in the long term.
Unfortunately, far too many of us learn helplessness at an early age. The action (or lack thereof) becomes a habit, which can indirectly lead to early aging.
When we don’t take initiative for our lives, when we refuse to try, when we wait for someone else to solve our problems, we’re really refusing to exercise the most important muscle we have: our brains.
As a result, we stagnate. That’s harmful, especially as we age, because our brains need engagement to stave off cognitive decline.
To avoid creating a helplessness habit, build resilience while you’re young. Seize opportunities, shake off setbacks, and at least try to solve a problem before throwing your hands up.
You’ll keep your brain younger.
Not Sleeping
Young folks brag about how little sleep they get, like it’s a badge of honor. I never understood why people are so proud of this awful habit that ages you like milk.
Chronic sleep deprivation harms nearly every system in your body and can contribute to a wide range of health conditions, including diabetes, heart problems, weight gain, and even dementia.
Most humans need at least 8 hours of sleep per night, so stop posturing over how cool you are because you don’t sleep and go to bed.
Fun in the Sun
Young people love galivanting in the sun, never considering the harmful rays penetrating their skin. As you age, the sun’s devastating power becomes ever more apparent.
Too much sun exposure leads to sunspots, wrinkles, aged skin, and even cancer.
We’re not saying don’t go outside – you should be going outside as often as possible! But protect yourself when you do.
Use sunscreen every time, no matter how “uncool” it seems.
Ignoring Trauma
Everyone has some sort of trauma in their lives, whether from a bad upbringing, an unhealthy relationship, or a life-altering experience.
The longer you wait to confront the trauma, the worse it will be. One day, when you least expect it, it will creep up on you and throw a wrench into your life. You’ll age five years in three months because the trauma haunts your entire life.
Deal with your trauma before it comes calling. See a therapist to work through the problems, conduct shadow work to confront the hidden aspects of yourself, or journal to understand your emotions.
Overcoming it early is the best way to prevent it from disrupting your life later.
All the Stress
Our lives are stressful. Stress can lead to a wide range of ailments, from depression to fatigue, headaches to heart problems.
We know that nobody (well, almost nobody) purposely makes being stressed out a way of life, but it becomes a habit that ages you faster when you don’t deal with it healthily.
Develop coping mechanisms while you’re young. Exercise, practice mindfulness, connect with your friends, or meditate.
Incorporating these habits into your life at an early age will ensure you can handle stressful events for years to come.
Ignoring What Matters
Okay, maybe ignoring what matters doesn’t exactly count as a habit that ages you faster, because there’s no medical evidence to support that. However, it is a habit that will make you waste the best years of your life.
You’ll focus on all the wrong things, then one day you wake up, and you’re in your sixties, wondering, “How did this happen?”
Don’t spend the best years of your life worrying about things that don’t matter. Stop trying to impress people you don’t even like, striving for a status that means nothing, and spending your money in desperate attempts to look cool.
Identify what truly matters to you, and your life will take on a whole new meaning. The earlier you switch your focus to the people who love you, wellness, self-actualization, and the things that truly make you happy, the better your life will be.
Build Healthy Habits Now
Regardless of your age, it’s never too late to swap these unhealthy habits that age you for better ones.
The earlier you start, the easier it is, so start today.