Midlife crisis in women: symptoms, causes, and what to do.

A review of the characteristics of midlife crisis in women, and its effects.

Men and women not only present differences on a physical and hormonal level, but also on a social level. also on the social side, the two genders have their own particular differences..

As we get older, our body and our thinking evolve, but body changes do not always go hand in hand with changes in thinking that allow us to accept ourselves for our age.

In this article we will see how the midlife crisis in women is and its particularities, how this stage begins, some healthy coping styles, and what is the role that should be taken to avoid the anguish.

How is the midlife crisis in women?

This stage, also known as "midlife crisis", is characterized by certain changes in outlook on life. is characterized by certain changes in perspective about life. It is the beginning of retrospective evaluations of how we have done things, and if these ideas are not channeled in the right way, a state of isolation, sadness and melancholy linked to self-esteem problems may develop.

In addition to this, the midlife crisis in women may be accompanied by a series of problematic psychological phenomena at a personal level that have a direct impact on how we feel about ourselves. directly affect how one experiences one's own age..

For example, the fact that children no longer live at home, or the fact of not having a partner. However, these thoughts and feelings linked to the discomfort of "being in the body of a woman of 40 or older" do not occur in isolation; they have their origin in the way society interprets the fact of aging, especially in the female sex.

Depending on the individual personality characteristics of each woman, these situations may affect more or less how they undertake this new stage in their lives.

Symptoms

Now We will now look at some symptoms, or characteristic psychological effects (since the midlife crisis (since the midlife crisis is not a disease), of the onset of this crisis, so that you can easily identify them.

1. You begin to ask yourself disturbing and deep questions.

One of the main signs that you are experiencing a midlife crisis is the retrospective thoughts that lead you to ask yourself questions that may not have crossed your mind before.

Questions like, "What if I had done something else?", "Would I be happier if I hadn't listened to my parents?", etc...

This type of questioning responds to a dissatisfaction with the lifestyle that is being led, which does not necessarily mean that it is a bad lifestyle. does not necessarily mean that it is a bad lifestyle.It simply means that when we reach the age of 40, we are prone to overanalyze our life trajectory, and we often do so with a pessimistic bias.

In the case of women, this bias is especially true for those who have not gone through the stages that have traditionally been associated with the role of the "mother-housewife": having children, raising them, keeping a family?

2. Feeling that you have already lived through the best of times

This refers to the feeling that the best years of your life are behind you, that you are no longerthat you are no longer able to have experiences that bring you joy. It is a generalized type of thinking, which represents an indicator that the midlife crisis has arrived.

3. Having the idea that nothing more can be achieved.

In this age range, it is characteristic to think that we have already achieved all we couldand that there is no point in undertaking new activities from the beginning. It is a distortion of thinking that makes you think that new things are reserved only for young people.

4. Physical difficulties

The physical ailments typical of this age can make us think that we are no longer efficient for certain activities. Pains in the back, knees or neck are frequent when we reach the age of 40, but they do not necessarily mean a clinical pathology.

In the midlife crisis in women this usually implies feeling anguish for being far from the conventional canons of beauty, according to which beautiful women can only be beautiful if they are less than 30 years old, approximately.

Of course, this limit is absolutely arbitrary, but that doesn't make it any less uncomfortable due to social pressure. If we add to this the fact that a large part of a woman's value has traditionally been attributed to her physical appearance, the situation is aggravated.the situation is aggravated.

5. Deep feelings of loss

These feelings are not related to the loss of material objects, but to the loss of opportunities. We may feel that we missed too many opportunities in our youth, and that the ones that come our way will be lost.We may feel that we missed too many opportunities in our youth, and that we will no longer be able to take advantage of them.

6. Frequent and easy boredom

It is one of the most common symptoms, because the routine can become so absorbing that your time is limited in things that no longer generate the same emotions as before.

There are always alternatives, it is a matter of making a good distribution of your daily activities.

7. Insomnia

Difficulties in sleeping at night are often intensified as a result of intrusive thoughts coming into our minds. as a consequence of the invasive thoughts that come into our mind.During the night we tend to review the things that happened to us during the day.

In the mid-life crisis, the evaluation of our activities can take us even further back in time and cause our thoughts to wander for long hours.

What to do? Coping with psychological distress

Now we will look at some specific methods to cope with the midlife crisis in women that will give positive results as long as you apply them and are consistent.

1. Accept your age from a positive point of view, emphasizing your virtues.

The fact of being 40 years old does not make a significant qualitative difference in terms of quality of life. Therefore, it is necessary to accept your age; If someone thinks it's bad that there are women who are over thirty, that's their problem..

2. Practice new activities related to personal growth

There is no reason to assume that life will always stay the same.

3. Get out of your comfort zone

Spread out your time and find new challenges. There are many motivating goals to reach..

4. Resignify the concept of age

Visualize your age as an opportunity to improve yourself in new things, taking advantage of your life experience taking advantage of your experience in life and what you have been able to gain along the way.

Avoid falling into self-pity, at this moment you have what it takes to do the things you set out to do. Stay motivated, remember that you don't need the approval of others when you know what you want to do.

5. If necessary, go to psychotherapy.

Sometimes it is normal to need help; look for a professional that fits what you are looking for.