Inside Marcy's Mind
Having hosted the Aging aint for Sissie's podcast for two years, I wanted to expand what I could discuss. This podcast will touch on the fun of aging and whatever has crossed my mind! Please join me as I walk through life! #retirement #travel #fun #aginggracefully Link in my bio! Listen now!
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Inside Marcy's Mind
Silent Aging: Six Daily Habits Stealing Years
Ever wonder why some people seem to age more gracefully than others? The secret might not be in their skincare routine but in the daily habits they've mastered—or eliminated.
In this eye-opening episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on six sneaky saboteurs that might be aging you faster than wrinkles. From the seemingly innocent habit of negative self-talk (which creates a "mean girl" in your head 24/7) to the surprisingly damaging effects of mouth breathing (yes, really!), we're exploring the hidden ways you might be shortening your lifespan without realizing it.
Doom scrolling might feel like comfort food for your brain, but it's actually more like junk food—addictive, empty, and leaving you worse than before. And if you're skipping flossing? That's not just a dental issue—it's linked to heart disease, diabetes, and even pneumonia! I share personal stories about my own struggles with chronic worrying (especially about my adult children) and how finding the right exercise routine became both physically and mentally refreshing.
The good news? Breaking these harmful habits isn't as hard as you might think. I outline a simple two-step approach to identifying your triggers and replacing destructive patterns with healthier alternatives. No shame, just sass and solutions here!
Whether you recognized yourself in one habit or all six, you're now armed with practical strategies to make meaningful changes. Your future self will thank you! Subscribe, share with friends who need this wake-up call, and leave a review if these longevity insights helped you see your daily routines in a new light.
Hello and welcome to Inside Marci's Mind. My name is Marci Backus and I am your host. Well, today we're going to be talking about longevity saboteurs, the habits that are aging you faster than wrinkles. Welcome back to another episode of Inside Marci's Mind, the only podcast where sarcasm meets science and sass gets a seat at the self-improvement table. I'm your host, marci Backus, and today we're diving into something that might just add a few years to your life, that's if you don't get offended first. You never know with me. Living a long, healthy life is on everyone's wish list. But let's be real. Good genes only get you so far. If you're letting stress pile up, flossing like it's a New Year's resolution, aka once a year or doom scrolling into the void honey, you might be quietly sabotaging your longevity. But don't worry, I've got the fix. Let's expose six sneaky habits that are aging us faster than binge watching reality TV on a weeknight. Well, let me tell you, I love some good reality TV. I'm not going to lie, I'm a big brother. I watch a lot of reality TV. I just enjoy it. So there you have it, but maybe shortening my life. I don't know, we'll find out.
Speaker 1:Today is episode number 51 of the Inside Marci's Mind podcast, and I also have another podcast called Aging Ape for Sissies, and in this week's episode of Aging Ape for Sissies we are talking all things Medicare Advantage plans with the fabulous Nita Wenrich. So I ask you to listen to that podcast as well. You can find it wherever you found this podcast. Please subscribe to my podcast. Help me build this audience. We're building it one brick at a time, but I'd like to make some money off this stuff. So, you know, tell your friends. Anyway, sit back and listen and we're going to get started with the habits that are aging us faster than wrinkles, the habits that are aging us faster than wrinkles.
Speaker 1:All right, so we're talking about six habits that most of us have no-transcript, and number one on that list is negative self-talk. Negative self-talk is like having a mean girl in your head 24-7. She's judgmental, rude and always showing up uninvited, just like glitter at a craft store. I'm telling you, glitter is never invited and it never goes away. According to dr ashwani nadkarni, all that metal, metal, all that mental smack talk can lead to some serious issues. It can create anxiety, depression, bad coping mechanisms.
Speaker 1:Hello, wine o'clock now. I don't drink, but I know a lot of people do look forward to that, just to escape. A little wine is good. A lot of wine is bad. Take it from me and ex-wino 37 years, no wine and overall emotional burnout. So instead of saying I'm the worst, try I'm doing my best. And Marcy said that counts.
Speaker 1:Self-compassion is the new black. What I'm telling you is that if you wouldn't say it to your best friend, don't say it to yourself. I am better at my negative self-talk. I've worked really long and hard on that. As I said, I've worked really long and hard on that. As I said, I've been sober 37 years.
Speaker 1:Negative self-talk is I don't know, it just happens. And again, if you're saying something negative to yourself, say what. I say that to my best friend. If you wouldn't, don't say it to yourself. So start looking at your negative self-talk, start tamping it down. You're going to do it. When you do it, apologize to yourself and say something nice. But work on that because it honestly, it leads to anxiety, depression, bad coping mechanism excuse me, that could be shopping, that could be wine o'clock and overall emotional burnout. And we get enough emotional burnout as it is. Don't be hard on yourself.
Speaker 1:Number two is scrolling to lift your mood. Now I'm falling into this category lately. If you're using your phone like a pacifier every time life gets tough, you're not alone and you're not helping yourself. There's a reason it's called doom scrolling. Doom scrolling might feel like a comfort snack for your brain, but it's more like junk food. It's addicting, it's empty and it leaves you feeling worse Instead of reaching for your phone. It's empty and it leaves you feeling worse Instead of reaching for your phone. Try taking a walk, petting your dog or hey, listening to this fabulous podcast or my other one. You're welcome, I'm contributing to your longevity.
Speaker 1:Anyways, I want you to really think about that. Phone scrolling is a really I. You know. I don't even know how I started it, but I do it and I do it a lot. I do know that there are micro learning sessions that you can get on your phone and learn something instead of scrolling. I don't know if that's quite as fun as watching the guy on the Jumbotron at the Coldplay concert get totally busted for being on an affair. I have to admit that pretty much lifted my mood. I don't know if you saw that on Instagram or anywhere this week, but that's quite something. Anyways, scrolling doesn't lift your mood. If you're using it for that. Be careful and try to find other ways to lift your mood.
Speaker 1:Constantly worrying, oh my God, this is so me. Raise your hand. If you ever worried so much you gave yourself a stomachache. I do, and I still worry about my kids, and they're 30 and 32. Going to be 33 soon. I wish I could let that go more. I'm working on it, I'm better, but I'm not great.
Speaker 1:Chronic worry messes with your sleep, your digestion and your joy. Here's a revolutionary idea Only worry about what you can control the rest. Throw it in the not going to worry about it today pile. Throw it in the not my circus, not my monkey. Pile Exercise, because apparently doing squats is less stressful than stewing in anxiety.
Speaker 1:Who knew I do exercise a lot? I didn't used to. I found something I love. As you all know, I do water aerobics. Not only is it a physical workout, it's also mentally refreshing. I have my lady friends there and my male friends, all kinds of friends. We meet afterwards, we sit, we talk and then we all go our separate ways. It is, physically and mentally, my greatest gift to myself. So exercise, it'll help you stop worrying.
Speaker 1:Not socializing enough. Loneliness isn't just sad, it's deadly. No pressure. Lack of social connection can lead to depression, dementia and even heart disease. So don't ghost your friends. Call someone, take a pottery class or join a group that meets for something other than complaining. Remember awkward small talk is better than talking to your houseplants exclusively. Awkward small talk is better than talking to your houseplants exclusively. My group is really fabulous. We talk about all kinds of things. Thank you to my friends at Equinox for helping to add to my longevity and I hope I'm adding to yours.
Speaker 1:Mouth breathing breathing no shame if you're a mouth breather. But here's the deal. Nose breathing is elite. Your nose warms, moistened and filters air like a fancy spa for your lungs. Mouth breathing skips all that and can actually jack up your blood pressure and disrupt sleep. If you're struggling to breathe through your nose, try nasal strips or see a doctor. I had no idea I'm not a mouth breather, but if you are, this is causing you a lot of problems. Check in with your doctor and see what you can do about that.
Speaker 1:Not flossing Okay, I just came from the dentist today, so here's an interesting one. Okay, I get it. Flossing is annoying, but you know what's more annoying Heart disease, diabetes and pneumonia, all of which can be linked to gum disease. I'm not making this up. Dr Jeremy Manuel backs me up. So floss, darling, it's not just dental, it's survival. I'm better now because I did Invisalign during 2020, and I have more space between my teeth. But before man, it was horrible, but it is better. My doctor said today I'm doing a good job, so that's good. So make sure you're getting that flossing in and if you're a mouth breather, get that fixed. All right. So I've given you six things that are shortening your life.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about how to break a harmful habit. Here's the truth. Habits are sneaky little beasts. They slip into your life daily, like wearing yoga pants and pretending to be helpful, but suddenly they're running the show. So if your habit is disrupting work, relationships or your mental health, it's time for an intervention.
Speaker 1:Step one notice the habit, track it, name it, don't judge it, just observe it like a wildlife documentary. What triggers it? How do you feel before and after? So let me go through that again. Step one notice the habit, track it, name it, don't judge it, just observe it like a wildlife documentary. What triggers it? How do you feel before and after? Step two reframe it. Instead of letting the habit control, you find a new, healthier ritual to replace it. Swap negative talk with affirmations. Swap doom scrolling with music or micro learning. Swap mouth breathing with well, let's say nose breathing. It's a journey, people, we're all on it and we're all trying to do our best. So that's it, my friends Six sneaky habits that are quietly chipping away at our longevity, and what to do instead. If you saw yourself in any of these, welcome to the club. No shame, just sass and solutions here on inside marcy's mind. If you like this episode, go floss, stop doom scrolling and leave me a five-star review. Until next time, stay curious, stay sassy and stay fabulous and go out and do something positive.
