Signs of a Midlife Crisis

Sometimes the changes we make in midlife can bring improvement to our lives and sometimes they can turn our lives upside down and into crisis mode. It pays to heed all the warning signs of the generations of people that have gone through this before us; and be careful to tread lightly. The real difference between a midlife improvement phase and a midlife crisis is usually to what degree one makes changes. The crisis part of the equation usually comes from over the top or completely under the radar extremes in the changes that are made to ones life.

Here are some over the top or under the radar behaviors to look out for:

Wanting every single area of your life overhauled and revamped: there is a need to sometimes make some positive changes in different areas and we should keep on our toes to see any positive changes that we can incorporate; but when you take a all or nothing approach to your midlife situation you may want to step back and regain a more balanced perspective.

Anger, elation, and a lot of other extreme emotions: You may spout the message "I have never felt this alive before" one week and the next week be home with an overtired feeling of being too old to boogie and too young to die attitude. This usually comes from a feeling that you are running out of time and want to experience all that life has to offer in a year or so.

Others reaction to you may be shock every time they get a visual: if you change almost everything about your appearance don't be surprised to receive some not so positive feedback from friends and loved ones who have loved you all these years without any adjustments per se. If you are constantly hearing people say they don't even recognize you anymore; or if family members bump into you on the street and think you are a stranger this could be a sign of overdoing it or under doing it on the appearance changes.

It can be a positive time to make some improvements to your life and surroundings when you feel that you are at the middle of the journey. Just be sure not to succumb to the "I want to be 25 again" or "I am done now I can live in my sweat pants forever" mentality.