Men and women share midlife crisis symptoms. No longer dismissed as a myth or an ailment, midlife depression and midlife emotional turmoil is considered something worth examining. While a midlife crisis has the power to cause damage, the emotional energy of this experience also has the potential to unleash positive change. Like harnessing the wind power of a storm to create energy that will power a city, you can harness the emotional power of your midlife crisis and transform your existence into a more satisfactory life.
Midlife Depression
Depression can cause you to be lethargic, unmotivated and to indulge in self-destructive behaviors. Depression in midlife is often linked to children moving out of the home, realizing you have not achieved the goals you wished to attain, a realization of mortality or disappointing changes in your body. If you are depressed, try to identify exactly what is causing the depression. Prioritize taking action regarding these specific actions. For example, are you a runner who has recently experienced an injury and can no longer run? You may want to try low-impact sports like swimming and yoga. Do you miss your children now that they are grown? How about volunteering at a church childcare program or as a Big Brother or Big Sister? Are you disappointed in your body shape? Perhaps you will want to invest in working with a personal trainer or a weight loss program aimed at mature adults. Directly addressing the issues that are getting you down may help considerably.
Dissatisfaction With Your Career
If you've suddenly lost interest in your career, it may be time for a midlife career change. Maybe you've slaved away as a manager of an engineering department to support your spouse and children, and now that the kids are off in college you feel like you're wasting your time in the office, working just for the money. Now may be the time to have a big talk with your life partner about what is really important in life. Have you always wanted to work with your hands instead sitting through endless meetings? Examine your possibilities. Could you downsize your house and start a new career that may pay less, but will satisfy you more? Is your life partner ready to return to work or willing to take on a job that brings in more pay so you can do something that makes you happy?
Insomnia
If you can't sleep, now may be the time to learn how to slow down, enjoy life, remain in the present moment and let go of anxieties each day. Consider filling your evenings with the following activities: yoga class, cleansing walks, a good book, a cup of valerian tea or journaling. If you can afford it, get a massage or talk a friend or partner into a back rub. If you still find yourself up at night, use the time to do something productive but boring like pay bills.
 | A midlife crisis can drive an otherwise sane spouse crazy. You'll need to be patient and give your spouse support as they make the difficult transition to a new stage of life. |
 | Age, for many people, results in a heightened sense of mortality. A female midlife crisis is something women have when they try and reclaim their youth or resist the aging process. |
If you are coping with your midlife crisis symptoms, you may feel overwhelmed. Learn to navigate the choppy waters of a midlife crisis. |
Ladies: has your 35-50 year-old man suddenly begun acting even more weirdly than he usually does? Has he hatched plans for giving up his sales job, taking all your savings and going to South America to find a cure for cancer? |
Does the thought of turning 40 bother you? What about turning 50 or 60? Is it getting you down just thinking about it? Do you feel you are in a rut and you have accomplished little or nothing in your life? |
