The midlife crisis is a period of intense emotional turmoil and uncertainty that has donned our televisions for as long as I’ve been watching TV. 

It is a lot of change and humans inherently resist change. So what can we do to make things easier for ourselves? Keep reading to explore:

• Signs of a Midlife Crisis
• 10 Tips to Overcome a Midlife Crisis.
• How to Prevent a Midlife Crisis. 
• Did You Know? 
• And much more!

Signs of a Midlife Crisis

Did You Know – What is a Midlife Crisis? A midlife crisis has specifically been defined as the stage where people roughly between the ages of 35 to 65 experience a lot of psychological distress and a need for some sort of change in their lives.  This could be caused by many things such as major life transitions or even health problems.

Scientists are kind of divided on what exactly comprises midlife crises. This is because a midlife crisis is not an official diagnosis. But, we need to keep in mind that the distress an individual experiences is valid even if there is no diagnosis. 

Some of the signs of an emotional crisis can include: 

• A reduction in taking care of their hygiene. 
• Changes in appetite – eating more or less
• Changes in sleeping habits – sleeping more or less
• Changes in mood – little or extreme reactions to everyday instances
• Feelings of isolation and loneliness 

10 Tips to Overcome a Midlife Crisis. 

1. Talk to a Friend or Family Member

A midlife crisis can be a really difficult time to experience. The uncertainty surrounding this period can make you feel overwhelmed or feel like you’re getting left behind in life.

You can always reach out to talk to a friend that you trust. It can help you reflect on what you have been going through. 

Also, a friend’s empathetic response can help you become more understanding towards and accepting of yourself.

2. Understand Your Feelings

Admittedly, it can be tempting to push the unpleasant feelings aside in the hopes that they would go away, doing so typically won’t make a big difference.

It is always important to remember that uncertainty or feelings of anxiety are a normal response to uncertain situations. 

Regardless of the intensity, take the time to acknowledge and validate your feelings. Give yourself the little breathing room that you deserve. 

3. Understand the Time Taken to Overcome a Midlife Crisis 

The experience of a midlife crisis can last from anywhere a couple of weeks to years (about a decade even). Men and women may experience a midlife crisis for a varying period, whereas men may experience it for longer. 

Given this experience lasts for so long, it is always important to remind yourself that healing will not happen overnight. 

The path to recovery can take months or years and we must allow ourselves however long it takes. 

Everybody will heal at different times and speeds, you are worth the wait. 

4. Identify and Accept Things Within Control

A lot of uncertainty and feelings of anxiety can be associated with thinking about things that we can’t control. This could be a transition like losing a job or watching your loved ones move away. 

While understandable, continuing to think about things that we cannot control will continue to hurt us. 

Focusing our energy on the things we can control will help us improve ourselves and make us feel better in the process. Things such as getting help when needed and taking care of yourself help significantly. 

5. Be Kind to Yourself – Self-Care 

One of the signs of a midlife crisis is that people often tend to neglect themselves. This could show up as not showering, grooming or eating well and exercising. 

Consistently taking care of yourself is one of the first steps toward coping with and overcoming a midlife crisis. Remember, you can always proceed at your own pace. Midlife crisis therapy can also provide valuable support during this time.

You can kickstart your self-care journey by walking for 10 minutes and eating at least one balanced meal per day. 

Once this becomes easier, you can gradually increase the intensity and frequency of your tasks while incorporating others such as taking complete showers. 

6. Rethink the “Crisis”

Instead of thinking of a midlife crisis as a “crisis” a time of intense emotional turmoil and uncertainty-, we can also look at it as an opportunity where we get to reflect and work on ourselves. 

We all change with time, this could be a wonderful opportunity to reflect and think about what new things would make your life meaningful and provide you with a sense of purpose. 

7. Set SMART Goals

When you’ve thought about one or two things you’d like to work on, you can benefit from making goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely (the letters make up the word SMART!). 

8. Involve Yourself in Meaningful Activities 

Engage in things that improve your life. 

Discover what brings you joy. It could be anything from connecting with others, picking up a new hobby,  joining a group, or just spending time with the people you love and care about.

9. Do Your Research About Midlife Crisis 

Knowledge is always power! Everyone can benefit from learning more about this phenomenon and how to heal accordingly. 

This can help provide a sense of certainty. 

10. Seek Professional Help

If your concerns do not improve or you feel like it is difficult for you to handle things on your own, that’s completely understandable. 

You can always reach out to mental health professionals who can embark on this journey with you and help along the way.

How to Prevent a Midlife Crisis. 

The best thing one can do to avoid a midlife crisis or make it easier is to always check back on yourself through the daily hustle and bustle of life. 

It is always important to check back in and connect with things that you find meaningful and that give you a sense of purpose such as volunteering or picking up a hobby. 

Having something out of your job and daily life that gives you purpose and meaning helps deal with a significant amount of the uncertainty experienced. 

Conclusion

A midlife crisis is a period of psychological distress that is usually caused by major life changes. To heal, it is important to be gentle to yourself and be understanding rather than being hard on yourself. 

Doing things that bring you meaning and joy apart from your usual hustle can significantly help and even avoid a midlife crisis.