Midlife

Brene Brown, in her June 2021 podcast, described midlife as the time from your late-30s until you die. She went on to lay out in detail the things that it is time to let go when you hit this stage in your life. I invite you to look at her description (mostly a direct quote but I missed a few phrases here and there- link at bottom so you can listen for yourself!). Where do you see yourself?

Midlife is not a “crisis” because of the extended time period. It’s an “unraveling.” We can’t fix it with control. It’s when the Universe gently pulls you close and whispers in your ear that it’s not f$%&ing around. All the coping mechanisms you’ve used, and armor you’ve developed to protect yourself and not get hurt—it’s time for them to go. It is keeping you from growing into your gifts. Time is short. There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worrying what other people think. You are born worthy of love and belonging; courage and daring is coursing through your veins. You were made to live and love with your whole heart. It’s time to show up and be seen. 

So from this frame of reference, midlife is about loving and taking care of yourself, pushing forward through the fear, and finding your own deep sense of meaning and purpose, and going after it. So many men and women alike are just treading water, wondering when and how they can ever feel authentic and fulfilled.

Health coaching is about much more than physical health. And actually, if you go through life feeling chronically stressed, anxious, thwarted, etc., guess what else is likely to suffer? Your physical health.

If you find yourself in this place of “stuckness,” conversations with a coach may help you connect with and move toward your vision of your ideal life. It may be that therapy is appropriate in place of, or along side health coaching, and I welcome those conversations to explore if you saw yourself in this article.

This post was inspired by and drawn from this podcast: