Women in Midlife Crisis

Over many years I have done work with a lot of different women. One of the things I am most passionate about is supporting women to success. Success meaning different things for each of them. Outside of numerous full time professional situations I have worked with women as a coach, personal trainer and therapist. In all of my roles working with women 90% of them are between the ages of 40 – 60. Although I have not (yet) done research on this I’ve had conversations with several of these women about how they seem to be coming to work with me (in all of these roles) because they are dealing with their own midlife crisis. Many have agreed.

Men’s midlife crisis

We hear a lot about men’s midlife crisis. They buy sports cars, they get in shape, they have affairs and they get divorced. Although an article I was quoted in said, men are also at the other extreme: many of them are depressed and gain weight. We usually hear about the former. Men in midlife crisis are doing whatever they want and purchasing expenses items to help them feel better; with the excuse that it’s just a midlife crisis.

What does the research say a women’s mid-life crisis looks like

I decided to do a little research on women’s mid-life crisis because I don’t think I’ve ever heard or read anything about women having a midlife crisis. I found that besides women being whats coined ‘cougars’ a women’s midlife crisis seemed to include personal crisis and depression.

Men can have affairs and buy expensive cars but women are cougars, in crisis and depressed. Hm! That actually doesn’t sound like my experience with women at all; although I am sure some of it does exist.

Here is my experience with women and their mid-life crisis

Women between 40 – 60 that I’ve worked with are not cougars, in crisis or depressed as a matter of fact they are out there trying to find themselves. They are getting involved with women’s marathon and triathlon groups, they are figuring out how to lose weight, exercise and get healthy and within all of those things they are searching for identity, confidence, motivation and self esteem. And they aren’t just talking about it, they are doing it! And I am starting a women’s networking group to support it!

A woman’s life

Women spent the first 40ish years having kids and taking care of their families. Most women take care of an entire household and family; juggling, balancing and care taking. Women are strong.

They get to a point between 40 – 60 where they start to realize they’ve either lost themselves or they’ve never found themselves and go searching, repairing and making change. At this stage in a women’s life they realize they are missing something. For some of them their children leave for college and they are left with themselves and are now dealing with the loss of their children and for many of them they are overweight, emotionally eating, not exercising, they have no friends and are alone and isolated.

Women you deserve this time to find yourselves! Your identity, confidence, motivation and self esteem is out there and I applaud you for looking for it. Men are allowed to just ‘have it’. You need to go looking for it and that is not easy.

I am fortunate to do what I do because every time I have the pleasure of helping a women find a piece of herself I’ve really helped support a women to have a better life!

For a FREE initial consultation on how I can help YOU through your midlife crisis, shoot me an email: drmichelle@drmichellecleere.com

Have a happy week Ladies! Go women!

Dr. Michelle

Photo credit: MrUllmi