Life Begins at Forty is a common phrase but how does the life kick off? How do you make it an effective phase and not get tired or shrink within menopause and all that getting older brings along?
So, to kick off an effective monday, here is an article to help those in their mid-circle know how they can effectively make the most of their Life in the Mid-ages. It can be really fun when you know what to do.
Midlife Crisis: Understanding Triggers
“I think there is something to the idea that women and men both are working so hard to move their lives along in their 20s and 30s and 40s that, whatever the [midlife] catalyst is, something comes along and the person says, this is my life, this is it,” says Elena Moser, LCSW, a therapist in private practice and clinical director of the Women’s Therapy Center in El Cerrito, Calif. That realization can spur growth … or it can trigger anxiety and depression as a response to stressful events.
- Death of a loved one
- Caregiving for older relatives
- Loss of a job or approaching retirement
- Signs of declining physical health
For many, says Moser, a midlife crisis may simply result from the realization that you are 50 and haven’t yet written that novel or achieved another long-held dream.
The Impact On Women’s Health
As women reach middle age, they begin to experience some expected bodily changes, like menopause, but may also suddenly face new, serious medical issues. A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, cancer, or osteoporosis, are just a few conditions that are more common to women during and after midlife. These women’s health concerns can trigger the depression and anxiety that characterizes a midlife crisis.
Although researchers are still looking into whether and how the emotions accompanying a midlife crisis can affect your physical health, it is known that some women develop (or revisit) an eating disorder as they try to cope with midlife issues.
Cutting Through Sterotypes
“Not all women experience a midlife crisis,” says Moser. “I think the idea that all women go through a midlife crisis is probably rooted in the stereotype of women being mothers and then, with children going away from home, being left with ‘nothing to do.’”
The reality is that many women adjust to the empty nest and report feeling good about watching their children mature and about having the chance to redefining their own peer-to-peer friendships. Moser points out that since so many women now work outside the home throughout their adult lives, having children leave home is not quite as disruptive today as it was when women had little else going on in their lives.