Midlife Crisis: The Causes and Signs

Aging isn’t for sissies, and a midlife crisis is often catalyzed by the recognition that one is aging. A midlife crisis typically happens between the ages of 35 and 60.

Women experience this phenomenon at an earlier age than men. A midlife crisis is a crisis of purpose and identity.

It’s a lack of satisfaction. It’s desire for significant change.

There are many possible causes for a midlife crisis:

1. Aging itself. It could be balding, wrinkles, aches and pains, failing eyesight, or aging in general. There are no 90-year old people that look 20. At some point, we all begin to show signs of aging. This can be hard to accept.

2. Serious medical issues. A heart attack, stroke, kidney stones, diabetes, or other serious medical condition after 40+ years of good health can be a wakeup call that you’re not going to live forever.

3. Regrets over a lack of education or making poor educational choices. You might suddenly decide on your 50th birthday that you really blew it and should’ve taken your studies more seriously. Or, you could just kick yourself for never having gone to college in the first place.

4. Regrets over choice of career or lack of career progression. Do you wish you had been a nurse instead of an engineer? Are you annoyed that you’re still a supervisor and never made it to manager? These types of regrets are a common part of a midlife crisis.

5. Children growing up and leaving the home. When you’re a parent with kids in your home, raising your children takes a lot of your time and attention. When they leave, that can leave a gaping hole in your life.

6. Aging or death of peers or parents. Most of us outlive our parents, and we expect to outlive our parents. When your parents die, you realize that at some point they were the same age you are now. It becomes painfully obvious what’s in store for you down the road.

7. A birthday. It might be your 40th, 50th, or 60th. Many people view a certain age as “old”. When you finally hit that age, you can suffer from a midlife crisis.

There are a variety of potential causes of a midlife crisis. The cause isn’t as important as dealing with the crisis effectively.

Regardless of the triggering event, the result is the same. It’s time to take control of your life and make the most of it. These can be the best years of your life!

If you’re not certain whether you’re experiencing a midlife crisis, there are common signs. Read through the following list and see if you’re able to recognize yourself.

There are several common signs that you might be experiencing a midlife crisis, such as:

1. A belief that your life lacks meaning. Is this all there is? What is the point? These types of questions are common during a midlife crisis. There’s a general dissatisfaction. You’ve put in a lot of time and effort into your life, but you’re not satisfied with where you ended up.

2. Regret for all the goals you never accomplished. You’ve wanted to do, see, and accomplish a lot of things over the course of your life. You’ve left a lot of them undone, and now you’re beginning to recognize that it might be too late for some of them.

3. Resentment over career or financial success. You wanted a more successful and lucrative career than you’ve had to this point. Feeling this way is a strong sign that a midlife crisis might be happening.

4. Resentment toward spouse or partner. Resentment can extend to your significant other. You may be wishing you had chosen someone else or had never gotten married at all. Maybe you believe it’s their fault that your life turned out this way.

5. A strong yearning to feel younger. Are you suddenly wishing you looked or felt younger? We all feel that way, but has the feeling suddenly grown stronger?

6. A strong urge to make drastic physical or social changes. A sudden urge to get in great shape or get plastic surgery is a common sign of a midlife crisis. Do you feel like reconnecting with friends from college and hitting the bars? Do you want to dance all night long like you did 30 years ago?

7. A strong urge to start over. Do you wish you could blow your life up and start again?

What did you discover? Most people dealing with a midlife crisis know that something is off. Your normal view of you and your life is different.

This is an exciting time in your life. Let’s look at some ways to make the most of this grand opportunity.

Related Reading: How To Reverse The Effects Of Aging



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