Are you going through a midlife crisis?
From buying cars to quitting jobs, we all have heard stories about midlife crises. With a dramatic decrease in self-reported happiness during middle age, it is important to find ways to come to term with middle-age reflection of life.
Psychologist Elliot Jaques created the term midlife crisis to define the emergence of recognizing one’s mortality that transpires ages 40 to 65 years old, according to Psychology Today. Jaques suggested this happens once an adult reaches full maturity and overcomes denial of aging.
Dr. Kevin Krippner, a licensed clinical psychologist with Advocate Medical Group in Bloomington, Ill., sees it a little differently.
“During my time working with a range of adults, I have not seen any evidence that a ‘mid-life crisis’ will occur for many,” Dr. Krippner says. “But I regularly see individuals who are somewhere in the middle of their life who review their life currently and previously.”
“I work with many people who consider what they had wanted to do with their life when they were young and how it compares to how their life has actually played out for them,” he says. “And I work with many people, especially older persons, who look back on their life and feel a sense of regret for things they have or have not done that have negatively affected their lives.”
Dr. Krippner suggests coping mechanisms such as:
- Focusing on accomplishments and successes
- Avoiding fixating on mistakes and failures
- Considering ways to be more productive and positive
Read more:
Related Posts
Comments
One Comment
About the Author
Anna Kohler, health enews contributor, is a public affairs specialist for Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care. She received her Bachelor of Science in public relations from Illinois State University and has worked in healthcare public relations and content marketing for over five years. In her free time, she enjoys working out, exploring new places with her friends and family, and keeping up with the latest social media trends.
Its a good article and I am sure that it pertains to many people, but would have been nice to have some warning signs and or a link to do an online assessment.