Heather Graham Says She’s a ‘Happier Person’ in Her 50s as She Shares Her Simple Secrets to Healthy Aging (Exclusive)

The actress, who turned 55 in January, tells PEOPLE she maintains a healthy lifestyle by enjoying “the simple things in life”

Heather Graham is feeling fabulous in her 50s!

While chatting exclusively with PEOPLE at Sierra Club’s Trail Blazers Ball on Wednesday, April 2, the actress opened up about how aging is all about your attitude — and for her, that means no longer sweating the small stuff.

“I feel like as I get older, I just care less about things that don’t matter,” says Graham, who turned 55 in January. “Everyone gets upset sometimes, but I think that I’m happier. I’ve done enough hard work on myself that I feel like I’m a happier person now.”

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When it comes to healthy aging, Graham doesn’t have a complicated regimen. Instead, she explains, “I just enjoy the simple things in life — like sleeping, eating, my friends, things like that. I love meditating.”

She also prioritizes time out in nature, especially when she’s feeling “stressed out in my life.”

“I like to go out in nature, go to the beach, look at the ocean, go on a hike, go into the mountains, look at the trees,” the Chosen Family star tells PEOPLE.

And Graham’s favorite way to stay in shape? “I like going on yoga retreats because, to be honest, I love just being by the ocean,” she says. “So, anytime I’m at the ocean, I just feel happier.”

When Graham turned 50 back in 2020, she told PEOPLE she was focusing on maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle and was all about “feeling good from the inside out.”

“I love yoga, I mediate,” she said at the time. “I do affirmations every day because, like everyone, I’m afraid of getting older.”

“The culture will try to tell you, ‘Now’s the time to feel bad about yourself.’ I say, ‘Now’s the time to feel even better,’ ” she added.

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In a separate interview with PEOPLE last year, Graham hit back against the societal message that women are undesirable or disposable in their 50s, insisting she doesn’t buy into that notion.

“It’s sort of deciding that you’re sexy, even if you know that the culture is trying to tell you whatever it’s trying to tell you,” she said. “It’s just deciding that you feel fabulous and that you look amazing.”

In 2023, Graham shared that as she’s gotten older, she’s embraced a more holistic perspective on life — and as a result, her career has become “secondary.”

“I was super ambitious as a younger person, but my most important goal is to enjoy my life,” she explained in an interview with PEOPLE. “It’s so much more fulfilling than trying so hard to be somewhere in your career.”

Added Graham: “Of course, I still am ambitious, but whenever I can really relax and get into a place of gratitude, then I feel like I really can enjoy all the good things in my life, which I have a lot.”