There’s an odd stereotype that suggest whenever someone hits middle age, especially for guys, a crisis is certainly going to show itself. Of course, in some respects that might be true. If we see someone of this age buy a sports car, change their entire wardrobe, start hitting the bars again, and perhaps going all out to change every behavior they have, then this could emphasize that they feel unfulfilled and are trying to strike out to something new.
It’s not always a bad idea to notice that and discuss it with the person you know, because after all, caring for your friends sometimes means showing loving and constructive criticism.
However, if you feel that you want a change in middle-age, realizing life is short, then why call it a crisis? You’re more than able to schedule a mid-life resurgence at this age also, and so focusing on healthy renewed behaviors, doing so with a sense of joy and passion, and taking nothing for granted is always going to be a wonderful idea.
In this post, we’ll discuss how to achieve that and more:
Content Compass
Don’t Count Yourself Out Yet
One of the main reasons for mid-life crisis behavior is that the person engaging in it feels time constricting them. They notice their age, and believe that if they don’t attend to certain life choices now (such as getting that fast car or jumping into the dating scene again), they may never do so.
But who says you’ll never do what you want again? The truth is that life is unpredictable no matter what age you are. There are people who have full rejuvenative adventures in their eighties, learn something new about themselves in their sixties, or even engage in a brand new hobby in their last few years.
Time is not something to be feared, but appreciated because not everyone has been fortunate enough to live to the age you are now. Keeping that in mind can help you avoid some of the worries that age brings, and helps you seek opportunities as opposed to worrying about missing them.
A New Health Focus
It’s always healthy to focus on your wellbeing, especially as you reach your middle age when your health can affect your longevity. If you want to improve your energy levels, work on your sleep hygiene, or simply remove alcohol from your bad habits, then it’s always good to do that.
A new health focus helps you look out with more confidence and a sense of potential. It can help you feel better in yourself, restore your mental health (although be sure to get help if the problems are more pronounced than this), and it may even introduce you to a renewed social environment.
As such, it’s always worth considering your health focus and taking some time to curate it properly. Don’t let age define you as limited, even if you might not be as spry as you were in your twenties. A health focus also takes up time, allowing you to avoid the mid-life-crisis focuses like spending too much time on the bar, and instead invest in productive, constructive hobbies that help you feel great and look forward to the future.
Write A Renewed Bucket List
Mid-life-crisis behavior may often be predicated on a “now or never” conviction, just as we discussed above. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the activities that you feel you haven’t achieved are even in your interest any longer.
Put simply, it’s easy to run on adrenaline and assume you want to do certain things just because you might not have done so. But do you really want to do them? It’s okay to say no, or to find an alternative. You don’t have to go skydiving just because you haven’t done it, for example.
Instead, you might consider writing a renewed bucket list for who you are now, not who you were twenty years ago. That might involve new habits like writing a new novel, exploring an old pilgrimage route in Spain, or perhaps even finally marrying your long-term partner.
This way, you can avoid some of the worry and conviction involved with ticking off old boxes, and instead have light and playful fun with it.
Enjoy Your Edges
Behavior most often expressed by those who feel they need to “fix themselves” will be dedicated, but not always directed well. The truth is that no matter what your age is, you’ll always be a work-in-progress. Maturity, then, is accepting part of that provided the issue isn’t harmful.
For example, it may be that you have some wrinkles now as you age. You could have cosmetic alteration surgery that helps reduce this, but doing so may not have the intended affect, could be very expensive, and may just leave you feeling more insecure than ever.
Enjoying and accepting your edges, be that you curse a little more than you think is becoming, or you aren’t the best singer despite belting out ballads when you’ve had some wine, or you’re writing a novel but you know it’s not going to be a New York bestseller is actually an act of self-love. This isn’t to say we think you’re mediocre and should just get over it, rather, having the attitude that you’ll never be perfect at everything (but can excel in some directions) will help you accept your humanity and texture as a human being.
This can be harder to accept, but it’s absolutely healthier than expecting the mid-life redirection to change any and all personality traits you have in a matter of months.
Practice Gratitude & Love
Sometimes, you just need to be grateful for what you have. It’s a very healthy means of accepting your position, and then if you seek to improve it, you won’t be doing so out of lack, but rather a hopeful chance to add to your wellbeing.
As we mentioned, you may be fifty with a few friends. But not everyone can boast that. It’s good to identify your blessings and be grateful for them. If there’s anything that can rejuvenate your right this moment, it’s that.
With this advice, you can avoid the mid-life crisis, instead opting for a mid-life resurgence.