We all go through various transitions in life. With transition comes changes and adjustments. Some people between 40 to 50 face challenging a situation called ‘midlife crisis’. Here are some common signs.
1.Questioning Life
You may be ruminating through in life asking deep questions. You could be questioning the meaning of life in general. Or you may be feeling ill-fit with the life you have at the moment. As you ponder on these things, you are placing your life on hold to assess if you are on the right track. You wanted validation if where you are is where you would want to be.
From unrealized dreams to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), there is a strong need to listen to your soul and let the crisis sink in to find solutions. There is an upside to this self-reflection to eliminate the activities that you do not need in this phase of your journey. People experiencing midlife crisis are more focused and likely to look into creative solutions for challenges they encounter.
2.Extreme Makeovers
Occasional makeovers are fine. But if you are suddenly looking for a drastic change from light brown hair to neon green highlights, then that may ring some bells. A line-up of visits for cosmetic surgery could be another sign that you are hitting a midlife crisis phase. You may want to revisit your ‘youth’ and start wearing inappropriate clothing for your age.
3.Making Quick Decisions
Your thoughts could be clouded and after some soul searching, you reach to conclusions about where you are in life. You probably thought that your marriage is not as romantic as before. It could be that your job was not as exciting as it used to be. So you decide to cut loose and look for an ‘exciting’ adventure.
Decisions like these are like knee-jerk reactions that could just be based on feelings and not reality. It could have long-term effects that may leave you helpless or simply run away from your reality.
4.Over-Exercising
Along those years, you may have accumulated some fats along the hips, waist, arms, and thighs. You did not mind it before – until now. This suddenly hits you and you start thinking about dieting and exercising. You constantly look into the mirror and feel depressed that your body is not what it used to be. So you hit the gym constantly to get back in shape. This is one of the midlife crisis phenomena that have a good upside for health and personal achievement.
5.Splurging
If you used to be frugal and suddenly you find yourself wanting to live the ‘best’ in life, you splurge on expensive clothes, a new car or the latest 65-inch flat screen T.V. Your park money was supposed to last you for the next 50 years but you decide to just ‘enjoy’ your hard-earned money.
6.Flirting
You might be thinking if you still ‘have it’ to flirt with co-workers or neighbor even if you are married. You may be contemplating to start by leaning on the reception area in your office and flirt with the new girl. While this is mostly harmless, this can lead to dire consequences in your marriage and may leave you devastated.
7.Running on the Nostalgic Lane
Suddenly you may be stalking your exes over social media and reconnecting with them. Or you might rekindle the old love of rock and roll and connect with your previous band to have a ‘jam session’. You are attempting to remind yourself of what you used to be. While this may have a sweet nostalgic side note, extreme cases may cause distort your reality. You may be simply running away from it and forget responsibilities.
8.More Sleepless Nights
This may be particularly true for women. Bodily changes occur during this phase, leading to erratic changes in sleep and eating patterns. You may be reaching a menopause stage leading to higher testosterone and lower estrogen levels.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, lower levels of estrogen can make you sensitive to what’s happening in your surroundings. And this disrupts the natural sleep cycle. Menopause may also lead to insomnia which further alters your sleeping pattern.
9.You Feel Passionless
Boredom could possibly be a sign of a midlife crisis. You can alter your routine and do something that you enjoy. Learn something new and get out of the rut.
10.Crunch Time all the Time
You could be thinking that time is running out for you so you have to do everything as fast as you can. Stop. Breathe. Take time to associate with the twenty-somethings.
Look around you! Learn valuable lessons and optimism from the people you think are doing well in life. Acknowledge your relationships and accomplishments as just that: accomplishments. Take care of yourself and remember, moments pass.
