In our life, we all are susceptible to a midlife crisis. And every person gets a different crisis. For some of them, career is the aspect they get the crisis in. The midlife stage serves as a pivotal moment. That’s the time when an individual looks back on their accomplishments, rethinks about their goals and sometimes confronts the crisis known as midlife career crisis.
This phenomenon can be daunting and transformative. It can present its own unique set of challenges and opportunities. So, let us understand what midlife career crisis is, why it happens, how to identify it and how to overcome it.
What is a Midlife Career Crisis?
The midlife career crisis is a period of intense self-reflection and evaluation a person does with respect to their career. It typically occurs between the ages of 35 to 55. A person can feel like they are not doing anything worthwhile in their career, they might feel disillusioned and even restless to the fact that they might stop going to work.
It is often associated with one’s middle age, but it can happen at any point in an adult person’s life especially when they reach a critical station in their professional lives. People going through this crisis can start to become disengaged from their jobs. They might just start to go to work because they have to work to pay bills and they stop feeling the happiness that they used to feel with their career.
Reasons behind the Midlife Career Crisis
- Unrealized Expectations: Most of the people who go into adulthood are ambitious. They have career goals and aspirations which might not be realistic. And when their work life progresses, they might find themselves falling short of their own expectations. That can lead to feelings of disappointment and dissatisfaction.
- Burnout: Years and years of just working, along with a gradual increase of responsibilities whether at home or at work can result in burnout. A person can go into a long-term state of exhaustion and disengagement. It can erode the person’s passion for their chosen profession and can cause the starting of a midlife career crisis.
- Changing Priorities: As people grow, they change. And as they change, their priorities change. As a person grows, they evolve in different roles, have new life experiences like marriage, parenthood, change in health status. And all of this can have them reevaluating their career choices.
- Technological Disruption: As the world evolves, technology does as well. With new technology comes new job roles and that can even render some older job roles useless. There is also the growing market of new skills required to handle that new technology, and this can cause some traditional skills to turn obsolete. And the people who cannot adapt may feel like they are left behind, hence causing a crisis of identity and relevancy.
- Lack of pay: People need money to pay bills. And if they are working in an organization which doesn’t appreciate them or reward them in monetary gains, or the employees have been working for quite some time and haven’t gotten a raise, then the job starts to seem like a burden to them.
- Lack of growth and opportunities: People in any job sector want growth, be it personal or professional. And if any organization doesn’t provide them that growth or the opportunity to grow, then they start to look for a change in their organization or their career.
- Self-Introspection: People at some point starts questioning their career choice and thus they feel a strong pull towards their passion which they might have left in their pursuit of a better career.
Signs of a Midlife Career Crisis
- Persistent Dissatisfaction: A person who might be going through this crisis starts to feel dissatisfaction in their career. They might start to question the use of their work, and whether they actually want to do this and might even have a longing for greater fulfillment.
- Fear of Change: Many people who have dissatisfaction from their career, choose not to change it because they have a fear of making that change. The idea that they might have to start again from the beginning or go into unfamiliar waters is haunting and thus, they might remain stuck with the unfulfilling roles they have.
- Decline in Performance: Feeling that unfulfillment, stress and ultimately burnout can lead to a decline in the performance of the person at work. This in turn can lead to lesser productivity, motivation and decline in job satisfaction. This decline might even be noticeable to colleagues and supervisors, and make the person feel inadequate.
- Health Issues: With midlife career crisis comes stress and anxiety which can have drastic effects on physical and mental health of the person. The person going through this crisis might start to have symptoms like insomnia, fatigue, headaches and be more prone to illness.
- Appetite Change: There might be a change in appetite of the person going through the midlife career crisis. They might start to eat less or more than they used to and there might even be a change in food preferences of the person.
- Quiet Quitting: The person with the crisis starts to lack enthusiasm for the work. They begin to just do the task to get by. They give their bare minimum for the work, and don’t show any interest, time or effort for the job.
Overcoming the Midlife Career Crisis
- Self-Reflection: The first and foremost step to overcome the midlife career crisis is to self-introspect. You should take the time to explore your areas of interest, values and even long-term goals. You should consider what actually motivates you and inspires you, both personally and professionally.
- Seek Support: Another thing you can do, if you are going through a midlife career crisis, is reach out. You can reach out to your friends, family, mentors or a professional for guidance and support. You should surround yourself with people who are a positive influence on you, and who can present you with valuable perspective and encouragement.
- Explore Options: Do not be afraid to go into that new uncharted territory. For you this could mean looking at new career paths and opportunities that match your passions and interests. You should research about different industries, take courses, explore, do networking to expand your knowledge and horizons and you might end up discovering new possibilities.
- Embrace Change: Be ready to go with the change. Embrace it. If you allow change, you are also going along with growth and personal development. Be willing to get out of your comfort zone and go with the new challenges, even when they intimidate you. Remember that failure is seen as a stepping stone towards success.
- Invest in yourself: Take steps for yourself. Invest in honing your skills, increasing your knowledge, and well-being. Consider taking professional courses for development, prioritize self-care activities for physical and mental wellness and seek guidance if need arises.
Conclusion
Midlife career crisis is a natural phase of any adult development. But it can be transformative in a positive sense if done correctly. While it comes riddled with challenges, it also gives you the opportunity for personal growth, reinvention and renewed purpose. By understanding what might be the reasons behind the midlife career crisis, what signs to look out for and knowing what are some advance steps that can be taken to overcome it, an individual can emerge stronger, more resilient and better equipped to handle the professional journey with more confidence and clarity.
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