What Makes You Age, By Zodiac Sign
Your bad habits are worse than you thought.
Unsplash Getting older isn't the only thing that ages us. I know that sounds like a big "duh," but you'd be surprised to find out what can really cause us to show our age... and then some years. What are some habits of yours that you know are bad for you, yet you do them anyway?
RELATED: Your Most OBNOXIOUS Bad Habit, Based On Your Zodiac Sign
Smoking, eating bad food, not exercising? All of these things can age us faster because we're not taking proper care of our bodies. Those things are the most obvious, of course, but there are a ton of other bad habits we all indulge in that speed up the aging process, too.
Stress is one of the most common things that can age you, and this has nothing to do with horoscopes or even your astrology. Not just dealing with stress – we all deal with stress in one form or another – but holding onto stress with no relief or ability to adapt to it. Ignoring stress means you're constantly holding it inside of your body, which is only doing a serious number on your mental and physical health.
It's up to you to find a way to release that stress – through meditation, exercise, or a relaxing hobby – before it starts contributing to the aging process.
Not getting enough sleep, spending too much time alone and not enough time with your friends and family, and even binge-watching Netflix for hours a day (I'm doomed, I know) also all age you faster.
Don't get me wrong, it's easy to fall into our vices and bad habits because they make us feel good, and we believe that there's enough time to get our sh*t together when we want to start taking care of ourselves. But in reality, these bad habits are aging us on top of actually getting older.
So, while you may think that you have enough time to change your ways to avoid early aging, you really don't. Plus, isn't life too short not to want to do some good for your body and mind?
I know that it's hard to be good all the time, but even making a few changes here and there is better than making none at all.
Get your squad involved if you need someone to keep you in line and convince you to go to the gym every week, or convince yourself that it's doctor's orders that you eat healthier.
Whatever helps make it easier on you, start making a serious effort for your health so that you can retain that youthful glow for as long as possible and make as many people as possible jelly of how good you feel inside and out.
Using astrology, here is what ages you the fastest, based on your zodiac sign.
ARIES (March 21 - April 19)
The thing that ages you the fastest is all of the negative emotions like anger and resentment that you hold onto, Aries. Even when you're not trying to be upset over something that happened days or even weeks ago, you can't always stop your brain from replaying things in your head.
You need to learn how to let things go, rather than get hung up on things that don't deserve your time or attention. It's hard to be able to take a deep breath and move on, but it's vital if you want to keep something insignificant from aging you.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)
You have two modes, Taurus: determined bull and total couch potato. When you're on your game, you can be very motivated to get things done, but when you get comfortable in your routines, you can turn into a couch potato. Laziness tends to age you the fastest.
The routine I'm talking about isn't going to work early to get a head start on the day or going to the gym. I mean the routine of binge-watching Netflix for hours every night or sitting down in front of your Xbox and playing video games all Saturday. We both know those things aren't healthy.
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20)
You're a very restless creature, Gemini. Your mind is always running in a million different directions, and you can't stop yourself from overthinking at times. The things you tend to think about the most, though, are whatever's stressing you out at the moment.
Worry and anxiety age you the fastest. Because you're constantly overthinking things, you're always thinking about what could go wrong, what you could have done differently in a past situation, and whether or not you'll make the right choice in the future. All of this worry is exhausting.
CANCER (June 21 - July 22)
Everything is stressful to you, Cancer. Sorry to be so blunt, but it's true. You can't help but take everything so personally, even when it has nothing to do with you. Chalk it up to your sensitive personality, or the fact that you take on everyone else's problems along with your own, but either way, you're always stressed.
Holding onto all of this stress with no release is what ages you the fastest. You can't always avoid stress, but you can learn how to adapt to it and not let it run your life. Find an activity that calms you down and gets your head in a more positive space, otherwise your stress will lead to a lot more issues.
LEO (July 23 - August 22)
As much as you love what you do in life, you can't help but feel the pressure to show off at work. You might enjoy your career (or you might not), but either way, it's what ages you the fastest. The long nights, the multiple projects at once – it's all stressful.
The other thing that ages you is the daily pressure to perform. Everyone knows you as the BAMF who gets it done without breaking a sweat. While you might thrive in high-pressure situations, you still feel like you have to live up the image other people have of you. It's draining!
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22)
You value your health very highly, Virgo. The dedication you put into making sure you're eating right and exercising on a regular basis makes you admirable to many other zodiac signs. Of course, your need for perfection can twist your need to be healthy into something dangerous.
The thing that ages you the fastest is crash or fad diets. You want to be in the best shape and in great health, and because you don't like settling for anything less than the best, you often go to the extreme just to keep up your perfect image. People night not see what you put yourself through, but you know that some of your habits aren't as healthy as they could be.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22)
You have a taste for the finer things in life, Libra. You're all about treating yourself, even when your bank account and health are probably better without. But to you, life is way too short not to enjoy every minute of it.
The thing that ages you the fastest is your habit of indulging in the decadent things. You tend to spend a little too much money on things you don't need, eat food that is incredibly rich and heavy, and go over the top when going out with friends. It feels good now, but unfortunately, it'll catch up with you later.
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21)
There's a difference between making time for yourself and isolating yourself, Scorpio. Do you know which one you have a tendency to lean towards? Whether you know you do it or not, you tend to push others away and only rely on yourself.
Spending way too much time alone and not enough time socializing is what ages you the fastest. We all need to find the balance between friends and family and doing our own things, but with you, it's not always that easy. Isolating yourself can be very lonely if you're not careful.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21)
You're all about living it up, Sagittarius. Life is meant to be a party, which is exactly how you treat it, despite how much it ages you. Sure, you feel good in the moment, but the day after you can definitely feel the toll it takes on your body.
The thing that ages you the fastest is your fast lifestyle. Partying and alcohol might be fun, but once you start getting older, there's only so much you can handle. There are other ways to have fun, of course, but it's up to you to find out what makes you happy while still keeping you in good health.
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19)
You're a very dedicated zodiac sign, Capricorn, that much is true. Anyone who knows you knows that you would work yourself to the bone if it meant achieving every one of your goals. But have you ever stopped to wonder what else – besides work – is important?
The things that age you the fastest are the late nights, early mornings, and not enough sleep. Maybe you're secretly scared of failing, or you're so used to the habit of dedicating your life to your career, but maybe it's time you take a break and reevaluate what's important to you.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18)
Technology rules your life, Aquarius. Don't worry, you're not the only zodiac sign who has a hard time detaching from their phone, but it doesn't make it any better just because you're not alone. Maybe you're only now just realizing it, but your phone is always glued to you.
Not only is staring at a screen for so many hours a day aging you the fastest, but comparing your life to what you see on your Instagram feed and feeling like you always have to be available to your friends and family just make you feel bad about yourself. You can't always avoid these things when you're online, so maybe it's time for a technology time-out.
PISCES (February 19 - March 20)
You are all about comfort in life, Pisces. Being comfortable, both physically and in who you are is vital to you. Without all of the creature comforts that make you who you are, there would probably be massive amounts of chaos in your life.
But all of this comfort can age you, too. You're simply not active enough, Pisces. You find yourself settling into a sedentary lifestyle because everything you could ever want is right at home. Not only do you need to keep yourself physically active, but you need to be mentally and emotionally active, too.
Emily Ratay is a full-time writer living in Pittsburgh. She's passionate about the environment and feminism, and knows that anything is possible in the right pair of shoes. She plans on writing a non-fiction book in the future.