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Fifty is the new 40 and soon that will probably change, too. After all, what is middle age anymore?

Just look to TV to realize the change. The Golden Girls were the same age as the women in And Just Like That but youd be hard-pressed to find many other similarities.

Women are doing more job, family, friends, fun, caring for aging parents. Theyre also twice as likely to use antidepressants, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Add hormonal changes that start midlife and challenges can add up.

At midlife, women face a gamut of happy as well as difficult milestones, said Nancy Wise-Vander Lee, PhD, LP, psychologist at Avera Medical Group Behavioral Health Clinic. It takes a toll on their energy, confidence and perspective on the future.

Bren Brown calls this less of a crisis and more of a slow unraveling when your mind starts telling you, All of this pretending and performing these coping mechanisms that youve developed to protect yourself from feeling inadequate and getting hurt has to go. Your armor is preventing you from growing into your gifts.

She continues, It seems as if we spend the first half of our lives shutting down feelings to stop the hurt and the second half trying to open everything back up to heal the hurt.

In other words, its a time when people start realizing the courage to be their true selves and run after their passions.

As we age, its important to discover what really matters to you, which often includes pouring into and loving others," said Rebecca Hanzen, health coach with Avera Medical Group Functional and Integrative Medicine.

You may be disappointed in some things:

When negative emotions linger and arent challenged, there runs a risk of a midlife crisis, when impulsive decisions might devastate finances, families and futures.

Remember, youve had good moments, smiles, laughter and victories. And heres another positive: you can create a mindset and lifestyle to help you live your life gracefully.

Aging gracefully means vitality and health. Its a mindset that keeps on giving. You, your family and those around you blossom and benefit. Perhaps in the past, change, discord and setbacks stirred those negative emotions mentioned before.

However, when you practice infusing grace into every day, especially into lifes painful moments, you realize that every difficulty is an opportunity, every broken relationship is a chance to love, every setback is a growing opportunity.

You realize youre no longer helpless or hopeless, said Hanzen. In fact, you find theres so much hope and possibility that can come to fruition in your life.

You have the power to find your joy, and sometimes it starts by looking in the mirror.

Finding your joy and your purpose begins by accepting yourself right where you are, said Wise-Vander Lee. Life has thrown many obstacles at you, and even though you managed them the best you could, it leaves scars.

Some of the most prominent mental health conditions Wise-Vander Lee sees are depression and anxiety in women who are stretched thin from the demands of life. Sorting through the pain youre carrying, especially with the help of a professional, can help you move forward in freedom.

As you heal from unfinished pain, you start to focus on creating another chapter in your life that is beautiful and rewarding, said Wise-Vander Lee.

You learn how to recalibrate yourself to discover whats important to you and how you want to cultivate those areas in life because the best of you delivers the best to those around you. You might even find a way to assist others who are going through trials you once experienced.

Managing mental health means practicing wellness that is within your power. Hanzen believes it starts from the decisions we make day to day that promote overall wellness.

A person is made up of a body, mind and spirit, said Hanzen. Because the composition of a person is so entwined, you often cant treat one part without treating or affecting another part.

Here are some self-care tips recommended by Hanzen and Wise-Vander Lee:

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Managing Mental Health During Midlife and Beyond - Avera Health

This entry was posted on May 20, 2022 at 1:56 am and is filed under Integrative Medicine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |