10 Signs You're In Your Mid-Life Crisis & 10 Tips For Coping
Tempted to Buy a Sports Car? You May Be In Your Mid-Life Crisis
Mid-life is marked by many thing: stability, accomplishment, but also restlessness, depression, and impulsiveness. Commonly called a mid-life crisis, this phase can surface as doubts about purpose, aging, relationships, or personal achievements. Are you in yours right now? Here are 10 signs you are and 10 strategies for surviving it.
1. Loss of Purpose
Loss of purpose is one of the main signs of a mid-life crisis. As all your long-term goals, like raising children, buying a house, and advancing in your career, are met, you may suddenly have a "what now?" feeling, which can result in emptiness.
2. Mood Swings
A lot of people get sudden bouts of irritability, sadness, and anxiety followed by random surges of optimism or impulsiveness. This is often caused by the emotional strain that comes with reevaluating your life.
3. Impulsiveness
The stereotype of people buying Porsches as part of their mid-life crisis isn't based on nothing. Impulsiveness is a sign of mid-life crises as people make uncharacteristic decisions in an attempt to capture their youth.
4. Motivational Changes
People experiencing a mid-life crisis often either feel motivated to make changes in their lives as a way to remedy past bad decisions. On the other hand, some people feel a total loss of motivation to reach earlier goals that no longer seem important.
5. Social Withdrawal
Social withdrawal is another common sign of a mid-life crisis, as people may pull away from friends, family, or community out of internal confusion. This happens because of a sense of not being understood, and a need to isolate to quietly question their identity.
6. Relationship Frustration
Mid-life crises often come with a change in desire, either completely killing it or multiplying it. This can cause some people to doubt their current relationship, become critical of their partner, or fantasize about being with someone else.
7. A Desire to Feel Young
The desire to feel young during your mid-life crisis comes from an anxiety about aging. This often shows up as chasing trends, obsessing over wrinkles, or making lifestyle changes.
8. Existential Dread
Existential thoughts—or thinking about the finiteness of life and its meaning—is another marker of a mid-life crisis. This can trigger sadness, anxiety, restlessness, or a profound sense of urgency as it feels like the clock is ticking louder and faster than ever before.
9. Boredom
Boredom, stemming from routine that feels repetitive or unfulfilling, is another common sign of a mid-life crisis. When daily life no longer feels exciting, you may experience restlessness and a craving for novelty to save you from the monotony.
10. Sadness or Regret
During mid-life, you may feel sadness or regret from looking back at your life. Many people feel dissatisfied, have doubts about past decisions, or lament over missed opportunities.
Now that we've covered some of the main markers of a mid-life crisis, let's talk about how to deal with it.
1. Learn Something New
Learning something new can help counteract feelings of stagnation or boredom while adding novelty to your life. New skills can reignite passion and provide a sense of accomplishment.
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2. Self-Reflect
Self-reflection is key to navigating a mid-life crisis. Being candid with yourself about what's going on can help you guide purposeful decisions, reduce impulsive behavior, and find what will give you a new sense of meaning and purpose.
3. Staying Active
Staying active can help you combat a lot of the physical challenges aging brings. If you're healthy and strong, you'll feel a lot younger than your years, staving off that mid-life dread.
4. Embrace Community
Getting involved in your community can help add a lot of meaning to your life. For example, you can volunteer for a cause you believe in, help organize a local event, or become a youth mentor.
5. Adjust Your Outlook
This is easier said than done, but as a lot of what's putting you in crisis mode is negativity about aging, changing your mindset is often the remedy. Instead of seeing your advanced age as a drawback, look at it as an asset. Reframs the "crisis" as an opportunity for growth.
6. Change Your Diet
Swapping refined carbs and junk food for whole foods is a great way to boost your vitality and support your body through your advanced years. It will leave you feeling and looking younger.
7. Prioritize Sleep
Getting enough shut-eye directly impacts your mood, energy, and cognition. Poor sleep can amplify irritability, anxiety, impulsiveness, and those general aches and pains that make you feel older.
8. Practice Gratitude
Practicing gratitiude shifts your focus from what's missing to what you have. Regularly stopping to appreciate small joys, relationships, and accomplishments can reduce feelings of regret, sadness, or dissatisfaction and has been shown to boost overall well-being.
9. Talk to a Friend
Talking to a friend or family member can be helpful during a mid-life crisis because it provides emotional support and gives you perspective. Sharing your thoughts and feelings with someone you trust can help you process confusion, gain insight into your challenges, and feel less alone.
10. Be Patient
Remember that it takes time to overcome this chapter of life and be patient with yourself. Mid-life crises can range in duration from lasting a couple of weeks to several years.
