Riding the Wave: How I Can Help You Navigate Your Midlife Crisis

This article may be of interest to you if you're a man in midlife or you are married to someone in midlife or you want to learn more about this important time of change. I have noticed over the years that quite a few clients sought life coaching support to help them navigate the uncertain waters of a midlife crisis. Sometimes the work involved a resolution of unresolved difficulties from the past, dissatisfaction with the present, a sense of lost opportunities, a fear of diminished options in the future or of growing older in an ageist society. Drawing on tools and perspectives from several wisdom-traditions, my role as a coach was to be a confidant, a support and to help them rationalise a new perspective on life and a way forwards. This article is about men, but applies equally to women.

A life upheaval that affects many people

How many people do you know that appear to be having midlife crisis of some sort? All men have a midlife transition just as all women have a menopause. This important phase of life, often involving powerful emotional upheavals can affect most people, men and women, through a large age range from 30 to 50. For some the transition is minor, as simple as buying a new motorbike and wandering around in brand-new biking gear looking like an elderly power ranger. Others may experience this transition as a crisis involving complex work, relationship and life-meaning factors. And for some the inner call to change goes unanswered. 

Typical Midlife Clients - Who You Are

Troubled and aged between 35 and 55 you find yourself in a stage of life where everything seems up in the air. You are "successful" from the outside. Life was all mapped out. DIY isn't working, you are ready to call in support so you can take control of your mid-life transition.

Perhaps your cover-ups have started to make life feel uncertain. Marriage is in the desert, love life has become complex, your dreams feel unfulfilled. Authenticity well compromised, depression creeping in. Your options feel diminished and the toys are no-longer doing it. Maybe grief, a career change or a deeper spiritual calling is in the picture.

Your solo efforts to make-sense and navigate these uncertain waters seems to be pissing people off. Leaving you resentful and unsure where to turn or who can help you out.

The remarkable work we do together is...

• Discreet and Utterly Confidential
• Holistic - Love, Career, Family, Dreams
• Deep and Honest
• Bespoke - Customised to You
• Open and Inspiring
• Clarity and Sense Making
• Real World Pragmatic
• Spiritual or Not
• Full Spectrum
• Specialised support for your midlife crisis transition

Who I Am

Since 2003 I have been providing expert support for people who are navigating their way through mid-life challenges and crises.

I am adept at holding a space that embraces the practicalities of every aspect of your life experience, providing pragmatism and a spiritual foundation. I am tenderly tough and proven with many 5* Google reviews.

I am an open and a razor sharp confidant who can help you rationalise a new perspective on life and map out a way forwards. I too have navigated a midlife crisis.

Benefits

• Supporting You through your journey
• Making Sense of your world
• Gain Clarity to cut through complexity
• Laughter and Tears from deep honest dialogue
• Vulnerability and Power understood
• More Authentic living
• Move towards Deeper Intimacy
• Take Responsibility and return to power
• Alignment with a Happier You
• Figure stuff out, find meaning, what to settle on, where to grow, what to change
• Feel heard and supported on a structured journey
• Re-Invent towards your yearnings for the next 10 years of your life
• Build a Toolkit to deal with life's challenges - Suffer Less, Flourish More
• I cant promise to fix all your problems, but I can promise that you don't have to face them alone

Your Next Step

You don't need to fight this battle alone! Let me exceed your expectations.

Curious? Answer the call to create a more compelling future for yourself with a proven expert. Test it yourself!

GIVE ME A CALL TODAY 0330 058 8385

For some folks it is particularly traumatic and it becomes a crisis; they feel cut adrift from anything they have ever known, love, family, ambition. It may become a spiritual crisis or a call to discover what more is there to life. Far from it being the jolly experience portrayed in the media of a man skipping off with a young busty brunette and buying a sports car; most men, and consequently their wives, feel utterly miserable and out of control with their once ordered lives. It may be a great source of jokes and amusement for some, but for those affected it can be quite debilitating. In some ways, every man's experience is different, but of course, there are many common strands to what men are feeling.

As we approach midlife, we may find ourselves facing a crisis of sorts. We might feel stuck or unfulfilled, wondering if there's more to life than what we've experienced so far. This can be a challenging time, but it can also be an opportunity for growth and transformation if we approach it with openness and willingness to explore our deepest desires and motivations.

One of the first steps in navigating a midlife crisis is to embrace the opportunity for growth and transformation. We can see this crisis as a catalyst for positive change, a time to let go of old beliefs or patterns that are no longer serving us and to create a life that aligns with our true selves.

However, we must remember that this process can be uncomfortable and challenging at times. We may have to face our fears and push through discomfort to grow and learn. But it's through these challenges that we grow the most.

Finding a balance between reflecting on the past and focusing on the present and future is essential. We don't want to get stuck in nostalgia or regret, but we also don't want to rush ahead without taking the time to reflect on what we've learned.

It's also important to seek out support and guidance during this process. Whether that's from friends, family, or professionals like coaches or therapists, having someone to hold space for us and listen deeply can be invaluable. They can offer insights and reflections that help us see things from a new perspective.

Remember, you're not alone in this process. Many people go through midlife crises and come out on the other side with a renewed sense of purpose and passion. By embracing this opportunity for growth and transformation, we can create a life that aligns with our deepest desires and live with renewed purpose and passion.

Just when you thought that you had your life mapped out, everything seems to be up in the air.

You find yourself in the grip of a profound and troubling meltdown that comes when we perceive that our personal trajectory is no longer arcing reliably upward as it once did.

As we enter and begin to face the second half of our lives, we all have the opportunity to face our mortality and this brings up existential issues.

• What have I accomplished in my life?
• What do I have yet to accomplish?
• What might I never accomplish?
• What will I leave behind?
• What kind of person have I been and what kind of person do I want to be?
• Does my life have meaning?

This midlife transition, lasts about 3–10 years in men and 2–5 years in women, and can be triggered by many factors. These may include extramarital affairs, menopause, the death of parents, grief, unemployment, underemployment, realizing that a job or career is hated but not knowing how else to earn an equivalent living, the meaning of life, or children leaving home. The result may be a desire to make significant changes in core aspects of day-to-day life or situation, such as in career, work-life balance, marriage, romantic relationships, big-ticket expenditures, or physical appearance. 

The NHS website recommends you see a doctor, and then goes on to say you will be prescribed anti-depressants! For some men with a clinical condition this may be the best course of action. But if I am to go by the case-studies that I have seen, those clients were not 'ill'. They were simply men and women who were feeling rather cornered, crushed or uncertain of themselves. Sometimes, they were tired of playing a lifetime of inauthentic roles or they were unsure of how to bring balance, wholeness or truth into their lives. Exhausted by litany of problems they had created for themselves, they were often looking for something deeper to life. One expert cited the following warning signs:

1. He says life is a bore.
2. He is thinking about (or already) having an affair.
3. He is suddenly making impetuous decisions about money and/or his career.
4. He says things like: I need space, I love you but I'm not in love with you, I hate my job, Why don't we sell up?, I want something but I don't know what, you are making my life difficult... (it's a long list!)
5. He makes a dramatic change in his personal style or appearance and is suddenly spending lots of time in front of a mirror.
6. He has little interest in spending time (or having sex) with you.
7. He is drinking too much or abusing other substances.
8. He is displaying the classic signs of depression -- sleeping more, loss of appetite, malaise.
9. He is overly nostalgic and constantly reminiscing about his youth or his first love.

It needn't be a crisis. I have had a lot of experience supporting men and women through this delicate, often ridiculed phase of life. Often it's a time when people feel most alone with nobody to turn to. Very few 'midlife' men will admit to family, friends or colleagues that they have a problem. Additionally, this area is under-served by experts. Your doctor may recommend drugs, psychologists may recommend therapy but sometimes a more practical approach is beneficial; sometimes all that is needed is to have an understanding confidant!

Over the years I have recognised that the pastoral role that I provide to men is utterly unique. Men have few places to truly say it how it is; to be vulnerable and accepted. Not many men have a network of close friends to whom they can reveal their most intimate secrets. A place to explore vulnerability and power. As a supportive confidant I can help you bring perspective to your life and your life situation. A non-judgemental listening ear may be all that is needed to birth you into the next phase of your life journey. If we can be honest about our painful and confusing feelings, mid-life can be a time for reassessment and reappraisal, a learning period providing the opportunity to change. We may become more interested in exploring parts of ourselves that we have lost touch with, develop a greater self-knowledge and sense of inner strength, and be less dependent on the approval of others. We may cultivate a greater interest in spiritual matters and express hidden skills and creativity. Some people also find that their relationships become deeper and more rewarding.

Often a career change appears as a part of this Work. If we haven't figured out 'what we are going to do when we grow up', this midlife transition will be a time of pondering our right livelihood. My coaching work can help you zero-in on a future vocation that is optimal. Many men and women in 'promising careers' completely change direction at midlife and even though they may take a big cut in pay, find life as a school teacher, or even a construction worker more satisfying than being a stock broker or high-powered executive.

Life coaching work can often be undertaken alongside other therapeutic interventions such as psychotherapy, meditation and retreats. We discuss a range of strategies that can help and where appropriate, I will recommend other experts.

The Opportunity  

Whilst it can undoubtedly be a challenging time, there is an opportunity to feel wiser, and more able to sort out the important from the inconsequential. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of a midlife transition is the quest for the sacred.

Together we can foster an openness that can turn your time of crisis into a time of quest. It can be a quest for wholeness, authenticity, a quest for integrity, a quest for love, deeper intimacy, a quest for independence as well as interdependence, or a quest for the sacred. It can be a time for the healing of old wounds or for finding one's true calling. WOW!

Many people acquire a wisdom, maturity and self-confidence they lacked earlier. These can be immensely useful in dealing with existing relationships and lifestyle as well as forging new beginnings. Rather than it being a crisis, in fact it can all feel very positive!

So... if you are feeling the 'call to adventure' in the form of internal urgings to examine your livelihood, or your relationships, or your understanding of the meaning of life, answer the call.... give me a call and see if I can help you. It may not lead to a crisis, but it will surely lead to a more fulfilling life!

I also offer life coaching specifically for men or women separately.

Needless to say confidentiality and discretion are paramount to our working relationship. If you are interested in exploring if I can help you create a compelling future... Get in Touch

Life Coaching for Men - Passion - Great Life Coach London