{"id":4922,"date":"2023-07-23T12:27:54","date_gmt":"2023-07-23T12:27:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/?p=4922"},"modified":"2023-07-23T12:27:55","modified_gmt":"2023-07-23T12:27:55","slug":"midlife-crisis-in-women-how-to-find-your-silver-lining","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/?p=4922","title":{"rendered":"Midlife Crisis in Women: How to Find Your Silver Lining"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20370%20247'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-159.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load wp-image-4923\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"732\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-159.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4923\" srcset=\"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-159.png 732w, https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-159-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-159-293x220.png 293w, https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-159-390x293.png 390w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s like you\u2019re watching the Wizard of Oz in reverse. One day, everyone is singing and dancing. The colors are vibrant \u2014 emerald cities, ruby slippers, yellow bricks \u2014 and the next thing you know, everything is black and white, withered as a Kansas wheat field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Are you having a midlife crisis? How can you tell if what you\u2019re feeling, or&nbsp;<em>not&nbsp;<\/em>feeling, is a bout of depression, the gradual onset of menopause, or a normal part of transitioning from one phase of life to another?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">Is midlife crisis a myth?<\/mark><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For some time, mental health professionals have&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/monitor\/apr03\/researchers.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">debated<\/a>&nbsp;whether midlife crises are real. The term \u201cmidlife crisis,\u201d after all, is not a recognized mental health diagnosis. And though most people can tell you what a midlife crisis is, one long-term&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.annualreviews.org\/doi\/10.1146\/annurev.psych.55.090902.141521\" target=\"_blank\">study<\/a>&nbsp;found that just 26 present of Americans report having had one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No matter what we call it, a prolonged period of malaise and questioning between 40 and 60 is nearly universal in both genders. Researchers have known for decades that happiness reaches a low point in midlife before rebounding as we age. In fact, numerous U-shaped\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/straightstatistics.fullfact.org\/article\/searching-happiness-around-bend\" target=\"_blank\">graphs<\/a>\u00a0map the peaks and valleys of personal satisfaction, with recent\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10902-016-9830-1\" target=\"_blank\">studies<\/a>\u00a0pointing out the differences between men and women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">So what does midlife crisis look like in women?<\/mark><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It looks like crying all the way home from dropping off your college-bound kid. It looks like zoning out on a conference call because you no longer know why you\u2019re doing this job. It looks like a reunion invitation crumpled in the trash because you didn\u2019t become all you planned to become. Like waking up in the middle of the night, wracked with financial worry. Like divorce. And exhausted caregiving. And a waistline you don\u2019t recognize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Midlife crises were once defined according to gender norms: Women were disoriented and disappointed by relational changes and men by career changes. As more women pursue careers and become breadwinners, their midlife anxieties have expanded. What midlife crisis looks like depends on the woman who\u2019s experiencing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">What brings on the crisis for women?<\/mark><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Nora Ephron once said, \u201cYou are not going to be you \u2014 fixed, immutable you \u2014 forever.\u201d We all change, and a midlife crisis is evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">It\u2019s partly physiological<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During perimenopause and menopause, changing hormones can cause or contribute to the problem. According to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/perimenopause\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20354666\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mayo Clinic<\/a>&nbsp;doctors, declining estrogen and progesterone levels can interfere with your sleep, make your moods vacillate, and reduce your energy levels. Menopause can also cause memory loss, anxiety, weight gain, and decreased interest in things you used to enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">It\u2019s partly emotional<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the time you reach middle age, it\u2019s likely that you will have experienced some trauma or loss. The death of a family member, a significant change in your identity, divorce, physical or emotional abuse, episodes of discrimination, loss of fertility, empty nest syndrome, and other experiences may have left you with a persistent sense of grief. You may find yourself questioning your deepest beliefs and your most confident choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And it\u2019s partly societal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our youth-obsessed society is not always kind to aging women. Like many women, you may feel invisible once you reach middle age. You may feel pressure to mask the signs of advancing age. You may be struggling to care for your children and your aging parents at the same time. You may have had to make difficult choices about family and career that men your age did not have to make. And&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0164027516656139\" target=\"_blank\">divorce<\/a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/wb\/resources\/womens_earnings_and_the_wage_gap_17.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">wage gap<\/a>&nbsp;may mean you have chronic financial anxieties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">What can you do about it?\u00a0<\/mark><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In \u201cLearning to Walk in the Dark,\u201d Barbara Brown Taylor asks, \u201cWhat if I could follow one of my great fears all the way to the edge of the abyss, take a breath, and keep going? Isn\u2019t there a chance of being surprised by what happens next?\u201d Midlife may be the best opportunity to find out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the U-curve scientists are right, your midlife malaise may resolve itself as you get older. But if you want to nudge the needle on your satisfaction meter sooner rather than later, here are some things you can do.&nbsp;<strong>Talk to a doctor<\/strong>. Many of the symptoms of midlife crisis overlap with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/depression\">depression<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/nutrition\/anxiety-disorder-symptoms\">anxiety disorders<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/hormone-imbalance\">hormonal imbalances<\/a>. If you\u2019re experiencing&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/mental-health\/how-to-survive-midlife-blues\">midlife blues<\/a>, your doctor may prescribe hormone replacement therapy, antidepressants, or anti-anxiety medicines to help with your symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Talk to a therapist.<\/strong>&nbsp;Cognitive therapy, life coaching, or group therapy might help you work through grief, manage anxiety, and plan a path toward greater fulfillment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Talk to your friends<\/strong>. A 2012&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/jech.bmj.com\/content\/67\/2\/166\" target=\"_blank\">study<\/a>&nbsp;shows what many women know from firsthand experience: Midlife is easier if you\u2019re surrounded by a circle of friends. Women with friends have a greater sense of well-being than those who don\u2019t. Not even family members have as great an impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Reconnect with nature<\/strong>. Studies show that spending time outdoors, even for a few minutes a day, can lift your mood and improve your outlook. Sitting by&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S1353829216300119?via%3Dihub\" target=\"_blank\">the seashore<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5580555\/\" target=\"_blank\">forest bathingTrusted Source<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helpguide.org\/articles\/healthy-living\/the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise.htm\/\" target=\"_blank\">outdoor exercise<\/a>&nbsp;all combat sadness and anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Try home remedies and healthy eating.&nbsp;<\/strong>Here\u2019s more good news: You have reached the age where you never have to eat boxed macaroni and cheese again. Eat the good stuff \u2014 leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables in all the rainbow colors, lean proteins. Your diet can help you&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/food-nutrition\/anti-aging-foods\">live longer<\/a>&nbsp;and feel better.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/nutrition\/melatonin\">Melatonin&nbsp;<\/a>and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/nutrition\/magnesium-and-sleep\">magnesium<\/a>&nbsp;supplements can help you get a better night\u2019s sleep, and they can also help reduce anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Write down what you\u2019ve accomplished.<\/strong>&nbsp;Not just the big things like awards, degrees, and job titles. Write it all down: traumas you\u2019ve survived, people you\u2019ve loved, friends you\u2019ve rescued, places you\u2019ve traveled, places you\u2019ve volunteered, books you\u2019ve read, plants you have managed not to kill. This grey period is not your whole story. Take time to honor all you have done and been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Take steps toward a new future<\/strong>. Novelist George Eliot said, \u201cIt is never too late to be what you might have been.\u201d Take an online course, do some research for a novel, open a food truck, or a start-up. You may not have to radically overhaul your family or your career to make a material change in your happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Read.<\/strong>\u00a0Read books that inspire, empower, or motivate you to try something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>MIDLIFE CRISIS READING LIST<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Here\u2019s a midlife reading list. Some of these books will empower and inspire you. Some will help you grieve. Some will make you laugh.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B07JHJ56G4?tag=healthline-subtag-20&amp;ascsubtag=bb03d154-c77a-482f-be1d-90d474761dc5&amp;correlationId=bb03d154-c77a-482f-be1d-90d474761dc5\">Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead<\/a>\u201d by Bren\u00e9 Brown.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/1524732680?tag=healthline-subtag-20&amp;ascsubtag=6e26d6ff-016e-4136-8c00-d06dce5d22fe&amp;correlationId=6e26d6ff-016e-4136-8c00-d06dce5d22fe\">Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy<\/a>\u201d by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B07CWSRQCP?tag=healthline-subtag-20&amp;ascsubtag=f88e37ce-19e8-4c6d-897e-0e21b0949349&amp;correlationId=f88e37ce-19e8-4c6d-897e-0e21b0949349\">You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life<\/a>\u201d by Jen Sincero.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/1594634726?tag=healthline-subtag-20&amp;ascsubtag=dd728a91-2b89-4e23-ab1f-c2fd1d419098&amp;correlationId=dd728a91-2b89-4e23-ab1f-c2fd1d419098\">Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear<\/a>\u201d by Elizabeth Gilbert.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/0062024345?tag=healthline-subtag-20&amp;ascsubtag=d2f642ea-b078-4bce-8522-99ccbdfb9f40&amp;correlationId=d2f642ea-b078-4bce-8522-99ccbdfb9f40\">Learning to Walk in the Dark<\/a>\u201d by Barbara Brown Taylor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/0307276821?tag=healthline-subtag-20&amp;ascsubtag=3e7f637e-d675-4b1d-92eb-49fbe8826b30&amp;correlationId=3e7f637e-d675-4b1d-92eb-49fbe8826b30\">I Feel Bad about My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman<\/a>\u201d by Nora Ephron.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201c<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/1942671164?tag=healthline-subtag-20&amp;ascsubtag=e63765ba-28df-435e-bf55-65d3f6f7a75d&amp;correlationId=e63765ba-28df-435e-bf55-65d3f6f7a75d\">Shine On: How to Grow Awesome Instead of Old<\/a>\u201d by Claire Cook<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">The silver lining<\/mark><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMidlife crisis\u201d may be another name for the grief, exhaustion, and anxiety that can affect people for a prolonged period between ages 40 and 60. The origins may be physiological, emotional, or societal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are experiencing something like a midlife crisis, you can get help from a doctor, a therapist, or someone in your circle of friends. Healthy eating, exercise, time spent in nature, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/womens-health\/yeast-infection-home-remedy\">natural remedies<\/a>&nbsp;may help decrease your symptoms until this transitional phase passes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Women are uniquely vulnerable to midlife malaise, not only because of the changes in our bodies, but because society demands that we be caretakers, breadwinners, and beauty queens all at once. And that\u2019s enough to make anyone want to take the first tornado out of town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/midlife-crisis-women#benefits\">https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/midlife-crisis-women#benefits<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s like you\u2019re watching the Wizard of Oz in reverse. One day, everyone is singing and dancing. The colors are vibrant \u2014 emerald cities, ruby slippers, yellow bricks \u2014 and the next thing you know, everything is black and white, withered as a Kansas wheat field. Are you having a midlife crisis? How can you tell if what you\u2019re feeling, or&nbsp;not&nbsp;feeling, is a bout of depression, the gradual onset of menopause, or a normal part of transitioning from one phase [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-preventative-care"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4922","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4922"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4922\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4924,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4922\/revisions\/4924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4922"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}