The ever-glamorous, always-chic Gwyneth Paltrow appears to be confident and comfortable in her own skin as she ages. However, like many of us, she struggles to accept her body as she gets older, but she says she’s working on it.
“Unfortunately, we’re always looking at ourselves with a critical eye,” the 49-year-old told People in its most recent issue. The actress and business owner endeavors to get to a place where she isn’t critical of herself, especially as she ages. “I want to show up for myself in a more loving way because it’s all going south from here! There’s nothing we can do about it.”
Because aging is set in stone, Paltrow is trying to get comfortable with the idea. She’s currently striving to shift her focus away from how her body appears, to focus more on how she feels in her body. “For me, as I go through the aging process and really start it, I realize it’s less about, ‘Oh, I have this wrinkle, am I going to fix it or not?’ and more, ‘Do I feel vibrant?'” This adjustment has Paltrow “focusing more on the fundamentals of wellness, like meditation, hydration, nutrient-dense foods, and not having tons of alcohol.”
The mother of two teenagers, 17-year-old Apple and 15-year-old Moses Martin, whom she shares with her ex-husband Chris Martin, recalls a shift in perception after becoming a mother. “I was just coming out of my 20s when you’re in that sexy, young girl phase,” she remembered. “And then you’re like, ‘Well, how do I reconcile who I am now with that?’” She found that the best remedy at the time was giving herself time to be a mother and allowing her “body to dictate where it was going.”
Paltrow chalks up some of the pressure we put on ourselves to the weighty expectations we have. “Some women feel when they have kids that they don’t feel sexual because their body isn’t back yet. But it’s like, ‘Who said our bodies have to look a certain way?’” said Paltrow. She noted that it all gets more challenging as you age, but she feels the antidote is “bringing a wider spectrum of acceptance.”
If you’re anxious about aging, Paltrow can offer you some solace. According to the actress, she’d never want to go back to her 20s or 30s. “I know myself, I like myself, and I am so grateful for the wisdom that comes with age.”
