Approaching or entering middle age can be a turbulent time for many men. As priorities shift and physical and emotional changes set in, feelings of regret or restlessness may emerge. Rather than ride a wave of angst, this transitional period offers a chance for renewal through mindset shifts and lifestyle recalibrations.
What Causes a Midlife Crisis in Men?
Midlife crises in men often emerge between the ages of 40-60 as the realization sets in that youth has faded. Men experiencing a midlife crisis feel an inner tension or emotional discomfort due to their passing youth and their impending mortality.
Triggers include struggling to accept physical changes and feelings of unfulfilled dreams or goals. Other triggers include stagnation in life or careers, fear over looming elderly health issues, and wanting to achieve a more purposeful impact while time allows. This self-reflection, combined with shifting family and social dynamics, contributes to turbulent questioning for many middle-aged men.
Midlife Crisis Symptoms for Men
- Irritability
- Loss of libido (sex drive)
- Erectile dysfunction (impotence)
- Fatigue
- Lack of sleep or oversleeping
- Low energy
- Muscle loss
- Depression
- Feelings of sadness
- Lethargy
How to Get Through a Midlife Crisis
Getting through a midlife crisis can be challenging, but with a good support system of friends and family, it can be overcome. Here are a few tips to help men get through a midlife crisis.
1. Keep Up With Exercise
Consistent movement through aerobic exercise, strength training, and full-body stretching stimulates supportive chemical responses in bodies and minds facing unwelcome changes. Physical activity outlets help constructively channel pent-up restlessness or angst through movement rather than self-destruction. The discipline also enables establishing control amid chaos.
2. Get Involved Socially
Actively seeking out community connections, new hobbies, and volunteer work provides emotional perspective and support during turbulent questioning. Lending experience to mentor others fosters a sense of purpose and impact. Building social bonds curbs isolation, which exacerbates distress about shifting long-term relationships.
3. Talk With a Professional
Counselors and therapists supply impartial and non-judgmental guidance in navigating midlife transitional struggles. With wisdom and coping strategies from a specialist comes clarity amid inner turbulence. Simply verbalizing stresses can bring relief. Professionals identify destructive patterns when getting through a midlife crisis and empower healthy self-care.
4. Don’t Give Into Your Emotions
Making major unilateral life decisions based purely on temporary distress or validation-seeking leads to long-term regrets. Taking time for inner work and self-care allows one to move through angst and emerge with proper perspective before redirecting energy.
5. Practice Gratitude
Pausing each day to give thanks for current blessings, past achievements, and loved ones in life counters the distortion of painful self-reflection periods. Gratitude fosters resilience, patience, and trust in one’s course during turbulent times. Internal peace holds healing power.
Your New Beginning Doesn’t Have to Be a Drastic Lifestyle Change
You can successfully navigate a midlife crisis, and it doesn’t require a drastic turn of events for you to turn things around. Change is inevitable, and the only constant thing. Make peace with that, be adaptive in your approach to life, and you will find satisfaction even in your middle age.
What to do About Hair Loss
Unfortunately, hair loss can be a trigger in a midlife crisis. As we age and lose hair over time, men may struggle to accept physical changes of hair loss or balding.
Going through midlife crises can also add to hair loss. A midlife crisis may stem from hormonal imbalances, which can affect hair loss, weight gain and muscle loss. Stress can also affect hair loss, and a midlife crisis can bring about a lot of stress.
If you have any questions about hair loss, the doctors at Natural Transplants are here to help. We are happy to provide you with an honest assessment of your hair loss and solutions.
