Anxiety in Middle Age
Sally Gunnell OBE
Keynote Speaker | Brand Ambassador | Olympic & World Champion l LifesHurdle Online Lifestyle Coaching
I am currently doing some coaching with people who have got to midlife and need to make changes. As we all know, midlife introduces a range of stressors, including empty nest syndrome, financial concerns, and hormonal changes...
Often the combination of these things can lead to increased anxiety.Recent data from the Office for National Statistics show that middle-aged adults between 45 and 59 are the least happy and report the highest levels of anxiety, despite most people being generally content with their lives.
Anxiety can of course appear at any age, but midlife is a time of reflection. It can highlight conflicting priorities, and hormonal shifts happen to all of us .. and this combination can heighten feelings of worry and unease.
Midlife can also bring shifts in relationship and family dynamics, especially for those caring for both children and ageing parents.
Health concerns become more prominent as individuals become more aware of their ageing bodies and potential risks.
Despite these challenges, midlife can also be a time for growth and self-discovery and sometimes we need the head space to shift our perspectives.
From my experience of working with clients that crucial headspace allows us to observe where the need for change is. I
In the meantime here are a few tips that might resonate with you:
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Embrace Change: Address your emotions healthily and understand that feeling uncertain or anxious is normal.
Express your thoughts in a journal or talk to a trusted friend or family member.Try Something New:
Engage in new or rediscovered hobbies to destress and find excitement and fulfillment.
Shift Your Mindset: Cultivate a glass-half-full mentality. Train your brain to focuson positive aspects of life.
Prioritize Self-Care: Ensure you eat well, exercise regularly, take breaks, and get enough sleep.
Self-care is essential for maintaining health and happiness and remember to seek Professional Support if midlife anxiety impacts your wellbeing. We are wise to remember that seeking support from a therapist, or healthcare professional can give us the break we need to start truly living and not just surviving this game called life.
Nobody has great days every day but self acceptance helps us make the most of every day and teaches us when we need to make those subtle changes so we can stay well for longer naturally.
Helping midlife high achievers take back control of overwhelm & burnout to re-claim the work they deserve with joy, impact & fulfilment | Executive Coach| Career Transition| Mindset Health | 1:1 coaching | 30 day Sprint
6 个月Working with midlife women there is so much going on. Empty nest, looking for purpose and balance, hormone shifts.. body changes…the list is endless. Tackling anxiety in a positive way is the best approach, understanding it and having the tools to deal with it. Great post Sally Gunnell OBE ??
Co Founder - MyMindPal Performance and Personal Development coach
6 个月Some great tips there Sally. Great to see someone with your experience working in this area. Teaching individuals how to manage anxiety is the area that I’ve specialised in myself for many years now. We all experience anxiety, it’s a question of where we find ourselves on that continuum and what we do specifically in order to broaden our window of tolerance so that we are able to cope.
CEO, New Forest Tax Accountants
6 个月Is it because we cannot do what we used to and find that scary? I try to think of things that I can do now which I could not do previously - like sit down and do a crossword, chat sensibly with strangers, play with my grandchildren.. etc. and then life seems to be rewarding again.
Executive Director of People, Culture and Transformation at The Children's Society | Non-Exec Director Sussex County FA | HR Magazine Most Influential Practitioners 2024
6 个月I really needed to read this thank you. I've never really thought about anxiety until I entered mid life. All of a sudden life becomes very serious and sometimes hard to really experience any joy. It is there, you have to be intentional about looking for it. Some amazing tips thank you.
I find that yoga is good for calming the mind. If you don’t concentrate on the poses or movements in between you fall out of them. The shavasana (aka corpse pose) at the end of class is the best bit for relaxation.