OPINION
'You are only as old as you feel' is an adage that is as time-worn as the bags under my eyes. It is a phrase often intended as a pick-me-up or said in jest. But, deep down, how many of us really buy into the thought that the brain (not the body) dictates how we perceive ourselves? Is age a factor at all? Or is the thought process solely guided by what we see in a mirror?
REGIME, Autumn 2022 - 21
Is ageing a state of mind? Belinda Bennett ponders the question That tangible hurt is the culmination of a whole host of thoughts... I'm irrelevant, I'm past my best, I don't matter anymore. I'm old. When you factor in that looking old is often associated with poor health, it gets worse especially if, like me, you have faced serious illness and survived. That quest to get back to how you were can be coupled with an unbridled drive to look younger and healthier. It can become an obsession.
For me, ageing is some of those things - but not everything.
Obsessed By Youth
Other people's perceptions of how old I am or, more importantly, how old I look - are probably the biggest influence. The unvarnished bleakness of being the 'antique' in a room stuffed full of pretty young things is painful.
When does 'beauty', particularly when it comes to anti-ageing regimens and makeup, become an obsession? Is it when you devote more of your time to skincare routines or start spending more money on products? Is it both?
