While midlife crisis and menopause are distinct concepts, they can coincide and may influence each other in some individuals. Let’s break down the relationship between the two: –
Midlife crisis often occurs in the age range of 40 to 60, and menopause typically occurs in women around their late 40s or early 50s. Both are associated with the middle years of life.
Menopause is a natural biological process marked by the end of a woman’s menstrual cycles and a decrease in reproductive hormones. It is a significant life transition for women. A midlife crisis, on the other hand, is more of a psychological and emotional phenomenon that can affect both men and women. It involves a reassessment of life and a search for meaning or fulfillment.
Some symptoms of menopause, such as hormonal fluctuations, mood swings, and changes in sleep patterns, can potentially contribute to feelings of discontent or emotional turbulence. These symptoms may overlap with the emotional aspects of a midlife crisis, potentially amplifying the overall sense of turmoil during this period.
Societal expectations and personal beliefs about aging, beauty, and roles can influence how individuals experience both menopause and midlife. Societal views on aging may contribute to a sense of urgency or reflection during midlife, which could coincide with the physical changes associated with menopause.
Both menopause and midlife crisis can have implications for personal relationships. Changes in mood, self-perception, and life priorities may affect how individuals interact with their partners and others in their lives. This is something to be taken seriously as this can have major implications and sometimes decisions taken at this time could be a source of remorse and deep regret for the rest of your life!
It’s important to recognize that not every person experiences a midlife crisis, and menopause is a natural part of the aging process for women. Additionally, psychological and emotional challenges during midlife are not exclusive to this period; they can occur at various stages of life. While some individuals may go through both a midlife crisis and menopause simultaneously, others may not experience a midlife crisis at all. Support from healthcare professionals, as well as friends and family, can be really valuable during times of significant life transitions.
The modern world is actually not made for women! Women’s bodies cycle with the moon, who are attuned to sunrise and sunset in a circadian body and who need MORE rest and sleep when their hormones are changing in puberty and MIDLIFE. On the contrary, in today’s world multi-tasking could be seen as a “Badge of Honor”!
Of course, we can keep all the plates spinning for decades, but when estrogen depletes in midlife, and it is easy for cortisol to dominate our hormone profile, it’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back. We feel too exhausted to work out or enjoy life with every day becoming a struggle. We start to lose sleep, our anxiety peaks and our shoulders, jaw and hips are tense, even after resting.
When we lose our sleep and feel increasingly anxious at midlife. Cortisol, our stress hormone, messes with our blood sugar balance, releasing excess glucose into our bloodstream as our body goes more frequently into fight or flight during the day and at night. Excess glucose is the root cause of our midlife muffin top. Cortisol dominance, loss of sleep, increased anxiety and weight gain around the middle are uniquely connected and well researched.
Its all about hormones! If our hormones are not balanced, midlife crisis and menopause can hit us hard!
I would encourage all women concerned about their hormones and overall health and looking to improve their diet, energy level, mood, sleep, and keep a watch on weight in general to come and join me in navigating through this beautiful phase of life! Yes, you heard me right – it is indeed a beautiful phase of life! So, let’s jump into this new chapter with a positive attitude!
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NAMASTE,
Preeti Syal
M.Sc., R.H.N., Certified Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant
The content provided in my blogs is for knowledge-sharing purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.