Are you feeling stuck in midlife?
Does your job or career that you were once so excited and hopeful about, now seem to drain your energy, wear you down, and leave you feeling resentful? Is it difficult to motivate yourself to get out of bed in the morning to return to another day of misery? Take heart in knowing that you are not alone! There is a reason that “midlife crisis” gets so much attention.
Youth offers us undeniable optimism. The future is bright and we have our whole lives ahead of us. We dream of what our lives are going to look like in 10 years and beyond. When people asked us what our plans for the future were, or what we wanted to be when we grew up, we had solid answers that we communicated with passion and excitement.
Then we hit that 10 year, 20 year, or 30 year mark. The images of how we envisioned our lives don’t match our current situations. Maybe we haven’t climbed as far up the corporate ladder as we imagined. Maybe we aren’t making the money we hoped. Maybe we find that job satisfaction just isn’t what we expected.
Or maybe things look exactly like what we thought they would, but we still feel unhappy, unsatisfied, and stuck. You ask yourself, “If this is what I wanted and what I planned for, then why am I so miserable?” The answers are as unique and varied as we are as individuals.
So what can we do with this midlife job misery?
Know that You Are Not Alone –
About half of people in their 30’s and 40’s feel unmotivated, unfulfilled, and undervalued at work. Many people in midlife find themselves questioning whether or not they can continue on the same path for the next 20-30 years.
Take stock –
Ask yourself what it is specifically that leaves you feeling so unfulfilled. Is it the hours, the pay, the people, or the demands? Is it the career or job itself? Is it that your wants or needs have changed since you first chose to do what you do (or your job/career chose you)?
It’s Never Too Late –
You have spent years of time and energy working toward where you are right now. It can seem frightening, or impossible to switch gears or make a change. If you are feeling stuck or miserable, though, it might help to talk with someone about where you are, where you’re going, and if those things match what you truly want for yourself.
“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.”– Steve Maraboli
Kristen Henshaw, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in south Austin, specializes in midlife concerns, trauma recovery, and dissociation. Contact her for a free 30-minute consultation here.