Avoiding a Midlife Crisis: Life Without the Meltdown

Resolution or Revelation?

When Midlife Pressure Builds

Midlife seems to creep up on you. It arrives quietly, like an unexpected visitor, not with a drum-roll or dramatic announcement. The pressure builds gradually, almost invisibly, alongside a growing sense of exhaustion from the constant responsibility it brings.

For many women, what is often labelled a “midlife crisis” is actually the result of prolonged stress, emotional overload, and a lack of space and time to prioritise both mental and physical wellness.

It's wild out there!

There you go. We've acknowledged it.

So, let's take stock for a moment!

This could be your best year yet, not because you're going to do more but because you'll pause more intentionally, learning to punctuate a percentage of your day by allocating some stress-busting time that in turn brings with it 'glimmers' of hope. Tiny embers of hope that waft into glimmers of joy, as the day unfolds.

How so? You're going to learn to recognise your behaviours and to ring-fence some of your precious time. So, whilst contemplating the year ahead, let's take a reality check ...

The Hidden Cost of Constant Responsibility

A typical scenario ...

You have people arriving for dinner; all planned and in hand, then the phone rings, it's your mum's neighbour telling you that your mum is standing at her gate again in her slippers, in the rain. The carer is due but not until 8pm. As you tell the neighbour you'll be there in 10 mins, you handover the final dinner arrangements to your 'responsible other' with the instructions to keep an eye on the rice (to go with the chilli) and you'll be back .... ooh and not to forget to chill the beers. You've done your social media post showing how immaculate your house is and how it smells of Christmas. So a big tick there.

Gosh, I'm exhausted just typing that! Granted the interruption may not be parents but children and you may have been having risotto rather than chilli, but you get my drift. I'm just trying to paint a picture here.

Is It a Midlife Crisis or Burnout?

Let's look at what we know.

According to the 2025 Burnout Report from Mental Health UK, 94% of UK women have experienced high or extreme levels of pressure or stress in the last year; adults aged 35 - 44 (96%), which means this isn’t a personal failing, it’s a shared experience.

How does it present itself?

You run along, close to running on empty and behaving as though you're the glue that holds everything together? You know you need to refuel but. ...

Where Survival Mode Turns Into Burnout

So, where do we draw the line? Where is the line between survival and burnout?

I watched my mother work relentlessly, take on everyone and everything, never say NO to anyone, until she suffered a breakdown when I was only 17. That wasn't part of the plan.

But we're NOT going there.

The Self Pause: A Different Way Forward

My intention is to impress upon you the Importance of the Self-Pause. If you choose only one resolution let it be this ... to take greater care of your mental and physical wellbeing.

I won't refer to it here as 'self-care' as there seems to be a trend towards glazing over the idea of self care in a dismissive kind of way.

Taking stock means being honest about a few things.

So let's GO LARGE and recognise >>>

• what we’re good at
• what we need be cautious of
• what we need to let go of 
• what needs protecting

The Good:

That momentum you’ve whipped up and are pretty darn proud of because you’re sure you know what your perfect future looks like.

The Caution:

What happens when it runs away with you? Let me tell you …

That next best thing you're chasing ... You know it should be further along than it is, you just need to get through this next phase.

That's the 'Hustle Mindset'. I hear you. I know this. It's exhausting.

Mental and Physical Wellness, especially for High Achievers, Professionals, Business Owners & Entrepreneurs - 

IS A BIG DEAL!

So ... What Needs to Change?

Perhaps it's time to see this a 'Revelation' rather than a 'Resolution'!

Wellness is so much more than just being free of illness. It's a dynamic process towards living a healthy and fulfilling life.

I've actually written a thought-provoking prompt sheet to guide you through an interactive process, allowing you to reflect, with self-compassion, and take steps towards reaching your full wellness potential without rewriting the rule book (so to speak).

Why Mental and Physical Wellness Can’t Wait

Throughout my years of teaching and coaching, one of the most frequently voiced phrases amongst midlife women, has been "I feel as though I'm hanging on by my fingertips'.

The GOOD NEWS is that you can avoid the 'cliff-edge' by noticing the signs earlier.

To help you determine what needs protecting and what to let go of, as we journey through the coming year, I've included in my handout a section where you can reflect. The 'Something I Could do Differently' section of the Self Care Matters Prompt Sheet is my gift to you; giving you permission to pause and perhaps contemplate a different way forward because, mental and physical wellness truly can’t wait!

And if you're thinking 'I haven't time for this' … everything we design is with YOU in mind.

A Wellness Wednesday Reflection

We're not talking huge effort here but small anchors; reminders you can return to, whenever life feels noisy or overwhelming.

Your wellbeing routine doesn’t need to be dramatic or time-consuming. It just needs to be intentional.

Change can start one sentence at a time.

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⬇️  If this resonates, you might like to take a few quiet moments to reflect further.

I’ve created a small collection of free resources to support exactly this kind of self-pause — they’re here whenever you’re ready www.virtualwellnesshub.com

And if you’d like to read further, one of my earlier reflections is linked here:

 These 5 Sentences Changed My Life