What Are The Signs of A Midlife Crisis In A Woman
Midlife crisis isn’t just a male experience - the time of life between 40 and 60 can be just as stressful for women. And of course we’re also dealing with the symptoms of menopause and fluctuating hormones on top of the family issues, career issues and relationship problems that can cause men to experience a midlife crisis.
But for women, midlife crisis can look very different to a male midlife crisis. So what is a midlife crisis for a woman?
Midlife Crisis, Menopause, and Perimenopause
One of the big differences between how men and women experience midlife crisis is that a woman in midlife is often going through massive hormonal changes at the same time.
As well as causing physical symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, fluctuating hormones can also cause anxiety and mood swings. Women may become unsettled or anxious about the changes to their body and their life, especially if perimenopause coincides with other major events like children going to college or a parent dying.
They may start reflecting on their own needs, maybe for the first time in many years, and come to the conclusion that these needs aren’t being met. All of this can lead to a desire for change.
Signs of A Midlife Crisis In A Woman
Of course, every woman is different and will experience different symptoms of midlife crisis. But these are some of the most common symptoms that many women go through:
Feeling Restless
Women may feel that they are running out of time to achieve their life goals, especially if they have spent many years raising a family. This can cause them to feel dissatisfied with their life, anxious and uneasy, or unable to settle down to anything.
Feelings of Guilt
Women often find that feeling restless is followed by feeling guilty. A woman may blame herself for not achieving the goals she had when she was younger, or might feel guilty about putting her own ambitions ahead of her family. She may even feel guilty about having ambitions at all!
Loneliness
Major changes in midlife can cause a woman to feel alone, even if she is still surrounded by people. She may be feeling sad about her children leaving home, or dissatisfied by her relationship if she’s grown apart from her partner. Re-evaluating her life may lead her to make impulsive changes.
Impulsive Behavior
This is a common symptom of midlife crisis for both women and men. Women may start behaving impulsively, making sudden decisions or making big changes in their life. They might make large purchases that they don’t really need or decide to quit their job without any real plan for what comes next.
Changes In Libido
Some women may find that their libido decreases due to stress and anxiety, problems in their relationships or depression caused by a major life event. However men don’t have the monopoly on midlife crisis affairs and these can also be a sign of a midlife crisis in a woman.
Midlife crisis and divorce are often interlinked but if the lines of communication are still open, your marriage can still be saved.
When a midlife crisis comes to an end, it can be a chance to pause and consider where you would like to make changes in your life.
As with many stages of life, communication is key and women may benefit from talking things over with a life coach, mentor or a close friend.
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