• Discontentment or boredom with the lifestyle that previously provided fulfillment;
• Feeling restless and wanting to do something completely different
• Questioning decisions made years earlier about the meaning of life
• Confusion about who you are and where your life is going

[Middle age is a time in which adults take on new job responsibilities, re-asses where they are and make changes while they still have time.]

In his 1965 article from Journal of Psychoanalysis,Elliot Jaques coined the term “MIDLIFE CRISIS” referring to a time when adults realize their own mortality and how much time they may have left in their lives.

Stages Of Transition

Psychoanalyst Carl Jung described 4 psychological stages we go through in making the transition:

1. Accommodation- presenting ourselves as different people based on our situation.
2. Separation – Removing the personae we usually wear (our public face) and assessing who we really are underneath the roles we play and the masks we wear.
3. Reintegration – Feeling more certain of your real identity and adopting a personality and style that is more appropriate.
4. Individuation – Recognizing and integrating the conflicts that exist within us and achieving a balance between them.

What Are The Symptoms?

Small nagging doubts may appear, encouraging a series of dramatic irrational events and ultimately great change. A person experiencing midlife symptoms will ask : Is this all their is? Am I a failure? Symptoms may range from mild to severe and may include:

• Boredom, exhaustion or frantic energy;
• Self Questioning;
• Daydreaming;
• Irritability and unexpected anger;
• Acting on food, drug alcohol and other compulsions;
• Greatly increased or decreased sex drive;
• Sexual affairs;
• Greatly increased or decreased ambition;

Causes

These feelings at Midlife can occur naturally or as a result of some significant loss or change- divorce, death of a parent or career shift. Coming to terms with such loss or change can be difficult enough, but when complicated by midlife transition, the process can feel bewildering and overwhelming.

Treatment

Coping with a midlife crisis takes time and energy, but this is a necessary part of finding greater satisfaction in life. The symptoms are not physically based: You can maintain an active sex life, keep fit and enjoy yourself as you mature.

Here Are The Most Important Things You Can Do For Yourself To Be At Your Best And Life Fully Through The Transition:

Exercise! Nothing works better or has more positive effects on mind, body and spirit. It will help you take charge of your health, make you look better, lower you body fat, increase your muscle mass and boost your mood. It will give you the extra edge of energy to maintain an active adventurous, independent lifestyle. Many people think physical decline is an inevitable consequence of aging and that we are bound to slow down and do less. With the right amount of effort this need not be true. Numerous studies show men who exercise continue to remain vital and active into their nineties. Much of the frailty attributed is the result of inactivity and poor diet.

The Good News – Most Conditions Can Be Eased Or Reversed With A Change In Lifestyle Behavior

Here are 5 steps you can take right now:

1. Do something physical 6 days out of seven- anything from biking, walking, gardening to playing sports. Just get up and move for an hour!
2. Join a gym and schedule time on your calender the night before as an appointment with yourself.
3. Hire a trainer to ease you into strength training
4. Join a team or sign up for a charity race/walk and raise money for a good cause while helping yourself.
5. Ask your partner or friend to join you on a walk or a gym membership. Accountability to another makes commitments stick.

There Are Other Numerous Perks And Side Effects For People Who Exercise:

• Protection against coronary disease;
• Avoidance of adult onset diabetes;
• Arthritis;
• Hypertension;
• Cancers;
• Osteoporosis;
• Depression;

Overall exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health and can help you to weather the storms of midlife. For more help in creating an exercise program contact me at hartbody@aol.com. I do personal consultations and lifestyle fitness coaching geared to men and women over 50.

Cool ride by pedrosimoes7

Here are some ideas you can incorporate into your life to make the changes you need to get the body you want:

1. Add short intense bursts of cardio activity daily. Start with 10 minutes and then over the next few months increase your time by 2 minutes per week. Before you know it you will be on the treadmill, elliptical machine or bike 30 to 40 minutes and feeling great.
2. Purchase a pedometer and track how much you move during the course of a day. Your ideal goal should be 10,000 steps per day (most people average about 2500 ). Look for every opportunity to move- stairs, parking lots, walk to work, play in your backyard with the kids, do some gardening or just clean your house. It all adds up. Start small- just set a goal that is reasonable for you – Maybe 500- 1000 steps is workable-get off the couch and just do something!
3. Eventually you will get up to 10,000 steps per day which adds up to an hour of daily exercise which will control weight, improve blood lipid profiles, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. You will lower your risk for developing all major chronic diseases that stem from obesity.
4. Eat only when you sit ( and never in front of the TV). Never eat while standing! Unconscious eating is less satisfying and leads to over consumption. Always sit down and enjoy every bite. Common places we fall down in this area- cooking dinner and tasting, clearing the kids plates and eating leftovers, standing in front of the fridge and foraging, and eating while driving or walking.
5. Strengthen your core. Start with just 15 to 20 crunches first thing in the morning. Increase by one each day until you hit 50. When you find that easy begin doing bicycle moves, one side at a time, and reverse crunches. (see YouTube for videos if you don’t know how to do these). A strong lower back and solid abs are a way to stay pain free and mobile as you get older. Older joints wear out and require more stabilization from the surrounding muscles to maintain their integrity.
6. Add one new fruit or vegetable to your diet this week. Be adventurous and get beyond your usual habitual choices. Try a tropical fruit like papaya, mango and explore a new type of green -Kale, beet greens, broccoli raab, Swiss chard or baby salad greens. The high fiber in fruits and vegetables satisfies you for longer on less calories and the phyto-nutrients are better than any supplement or vitamin you can take.

Now, pick just one of these and and do ti consistently over the next three weeks and see what happens. You’ll be surprised how one small change leads to making you happier and healthier without too much disruption to your current life.
Beautiful photo by apesara