Midlife Crisis Or Midlife Transition - What Should You Know?

Midlife crisis may start at a transitional chapter in a person’s life- when the person leaves behind youth and enters an elderly phase. This usually happens in the 40s or 50s. 

What causes a Midlife Crisis?

Contrary to popular belief, it is not just men who have to live through a midlife crisis but women are just as likely to be its victims as men are. For men, their insecurity may stem from being seen as failures in their respective fields and they focus on flaunting their achievements to everyone around them. For women, their anxiety arises from declining sexuality and loss off their youthful looks. 

But the one common factor that ushers in midlife crisis in both men and women with children is their changing roles as parents. By this time their children have grown up and some had moved away leaving their parents to grapple with the ‘empty nest syndrome’. Even if the kids stay at home, adult children need their parents less than when they were children and the fact that fact is not easy for most parents to get used to who cling to their children or continue to try and dictate the course of their children’s lives leading to conflict.

Another reason that a person may suffer a bout of the midlife crisis is that people hope to accomplish a number of things before they enter their mid-life. However, not always do all plans come to fruition. So around this time they begin reflecting on lost opportunities, how they had not built the life they had dreamed of, how things could have gone differently. 

What are the Signs of Midlife Crisis?

There are a few indicators of a midlife crisis - 

• Making expensive purchases - it signals to the outside world that the person in the grips of the midlife crisis has made a success out of life

• Fixation on appearance -  midlife crisis may make people try to recreate their youthful good looks to try to fend off approaching old-age, they might change the way they dress or groom themselves or even their fitness regime to appear more attractive

• Frequent mood swings - the person may become irritable and erratic and may act impulsively and blame others for the mistakes he/she made

• Change in patterns of sleep -  the person may become insomniac or may oversleep

• Feelings of depression - the person might lose interest in everything happening around him/her and lose motivation or will stop interacting with family or friends

• Exhaustion - the person will feel perpetually tired, sound sleep or even a vacation will not banish it

• A new set of friends - the person might stop mingling with their old friends and create a new circle of friends and acquaintances with people who are younger

• Ending a marriage - the person may have a fling or may decide to part ways with his/her spouse

• A sudden and rapid weight gain or loss

How can you Deal with Midlife Crisis?

There are a few simple tips to help you deal with your ongoing midlife crisis-

• Accept that you have a case of a mid-life crisis, any problem can be solved once you acknowledge that something is wrong

• If you are making impulsive purchases or splurging on yourself, stop and think before you leap. The money that you are recklessly spending could be put to better use, maybe on your child or to help out a friend in need

• Keep yourself busy to ward off morbid thoughts. Learn a new skill, go on a solo trip of self-discovery, volunteer at a charity organisation or take up a new hobby

• Confess to a loved one. A burden shared is a burden halved, your well-wisher will help you find a way out

• Exercise every day and be strict about your diet. Not many people know that rigorous physical activity and an organic diet can do wonders to improve a person’s mood

• Get professional help. If you feel depression setting in, then do not wait because it is a silent killer. Consult a therapist right away who will help you deal with your crisis. 

A midlife crisis can be stressful for you and your family. Just follow the above-mentioned tips, and you will be fine in no time.