Midlife Crisis in Middle-Aged Women
Calling all midlife women…I have an invitation for you, to take back your power. Let’s not dwell in sadness about getting older. Just because we’re in midlife doesn’t mean we should accept that exhaustion or feeling washed up is a normal part of aging. How about if we vehemently challenge the heinous lie that our best years are over? It’s time for middle-aged women to realize that we are primed and ready to use all the experience, wisdom, and resources that we gathered in our first half of life to make our second half even more meaningful.
Midlife Crisis in Middle-Aged Women
But first, ask yourself the following: how many middle-aged women do you know who seem to have faded? One day she’s slaying it in her career, juggling the endless demands of her gifted and sporty kids, posting vacation pics with her husband, and volunteering.
She seems to have it all under control. And then something changes. You see her, and she’s quieter. Drained of life force and hiding away.
Maybe her kids went off to college, and she’s wondering what’s left for her now. Perhaps those kids are making poor decisions or suffering emotionally, and she feels powerless to help.
Maybe her relationship ended. If not, it’s likely lost its luster. And she’s wondering, “Is this all there is? Are my best days behind me? What happened to my dreams?”
She feels betrayed by others and herself
Meanwhile, if the husband is now an ex, he may be dating women twenty-five years younger. She feels betrayed. By her body, which is raging with hormonal surges that feel like lightning and tornadoes striking her from within. Betrayed by others, who may judge her as past her prime — and betrayed by herself because she wants more out of life, but she can’t seem to motivate herself to change her circumstances.
She’s frustrated about the few extra pounds she’s gained but hasn’t yet given up her wine or late-night snacks. Worse, her motivation seems to have evaporated.
She may have sunk to watching episodes of The Real Housewives because they allow her to see other middle-aged women in crisis and at least feel good about the fact that she doesn’t have any friends that treat her as badly as those females treat each other.
Is her inner flame actually extinguished? She craves connection, but she may not want sex. Not with the extra pounds and the potential of having to risk another disappointment. She feels like she has nothing left to give.
It looks and feels like a female midlife crisis. Only she’s not running after a boy toy. She’s just plain stalled out.
So, what’s a once high-performing woman who’s now in this midlife slump to do?
Her inner flame is still there…it simply needs to be turned up. She can absolutely take her power back. It’s important to start challenging the old, toxic beliefs about older women. You know, the ones about how women age and men just look more distinguished? And so on… What if she celebrates her age and makes it the best it can be? She can wake up her life force — with art, dance, walks in nature, volunteering, or simply re-connecting with what brings her joy.
It’s very important for her to connect with others. But not with just anyone. She must surround herself with women who elevate her. Women who are supportive, positive, and who want to grow.
If we’re not growing, we’re withering
It’s essential to realize when we’re not living up to our full potential. Most growth lies just outside our comfort zone, which means it can be a little bit scary. But we must grow. Because if we’re not growing, we’re withering. It’s important to set goals that make us catch our breath a bit. That’s when we know we’re stretching and growing.
Our 50s, 60s, and even 70s can be very productive decades when we can do things that would not have been possible before. We can learn from women who are doing inspiring things in the second halves of their lives.
While growing and evolving, it’s important that we go easy on ourselves. We must forgive ourselves for anything we’re blaming ourselves for. Resentments, anger, and disappointments are massive energy drains that steal our joy and playfulness.
And it’s beneficial to move every day. Exercise keeps us younger and healthier. Dance is fantastic because it gets us into our feminine flow. Even a small amount can make a big difference.
As promised, here’s my invitation to you. Having worked with countless women in my Coaching practice, I have created a community for women of a certain age to connect, shine, elevate, and inspire each other.
Consider this group a sacred sisterhood where you can share inspiring stories, your wins, your losses, and most of all, your love. Let’s empower and elevate each other. We can grow and age joyfully — making the second halves of our lives the best yet.
You are cordially invited to join our sacred sisterhood. The doorway to a renewed sense of purpose in life is here. You just have to open it.
