Crisis of the 40 in women: symptoms, causes, and what to do

Men and women not only present differences at a physical and hormonal level, but also also in relation to the social part the two genders present their particular differences.

As we increase in age, our body and our thinking evolve, but the changes bodily changes do not always go hand in hand with the changes of thought that allow one to accept oneself for the age that you have.

In this article We will see how the crisis of 40 is in women and its particularities, how this stage begins, some healthy coping styles, and what is the role that must be taken to avoid anguish.

• Related article: "Low selfsteem? When you become your own worst enemy"

How is the crisis of 40 in women?

This stage, also known as "midlife crisis" It is characterized by certain changes in perspective about life. Retrospective evaluations begin on how we have done things, and if these are not channeled ideas correctly, you could reach a state of isolation, sadness and melancholy linked to problems self-esteem.

In addition to this, the midlife crisis in women could be accompanied by a series of problematic psychological phenomena on a personal level that

directly affect how one's own age is experienced.

For example, the fact that the children no longer live at home, or the fact of not having a partner. Of course, these thoughts and feelings linked to the discomfort of "being in the body of a woman of 40 years or more" do not occur in isolation; They have their raison d'être in the way in which society interprets the fact of aging, especially in the female sex.

Depending on the individual personality characteristics of each woman, these situations could more or less affect how they undertake this new stage in their lives.

Symptoms

Now we will see some symptoms, or characteristic psychological effects (since the mid-life crisis is not a disease), from the beginning of this crisis, so that you can easily identify them.

• You may be interested in: "The 9 stages of human life"

1. You begin to ask yourself disturbing and deep questions

One of the main signs that you are experiencing a midlife crisis are thoughts of retrospective type that lead you to ask yourself questions that perhaps before would not even have passed through the mind.

Questions of the type, "what would have happened if I had dedicated myself to something else?", "would I be happier if I had not listened to my parents?", etc...

This type of questioning responds to a disagreement with the lifestyle that is led, which does not necessarily mean that it is a bad lifestyle; it simply means that when we reach 40 years of age, we are prone to over-analyze our life trajectory, often from a pessimistic bias.

In the case of women, this bias is primed with those who have not gone through the stages that have traditionally been associated with the role of the "housewife mother": having children, raising them, keeping a family...

2. Feeling that you have already lived the best moments

This refers to the feeling that the best years of your life are behind you, that you are no longer capable of having experiences that generate joy. It is a type of generalized thought, which represents an indicator that the crisis of 40 has arrived.

3. Having the idea that nothing else can be achieved

In this age range, it is characteristic to think that we have already achieved everything we could, and that there is no point in undertaking new activities from the beginning. It is a distortion of thought that makes you think that new things are reserved only for the young.

4. Physical difficulties

The physical ailments typical of this age can make us think that we are no longer efficient for certain activities. Pain in the back, knees, or neck, are frequent when we reach 40 years of age, but they do not necessarily mean a clinical pathology.

In the crisis of 40 in women this usually implies feeling anguish for being very far from the canons conventions of beauty, according to which women can only be beautiful if they are under 30 years of age, approximately.

Of course, this limit is completely arbitrary, but that does not stop you from feeling discomfort due to social pressure. If we add to this that traditionally much of the value of women has been attributed to their physical appearance, the situation worsens.

5. deep feelings of loss

These feelings are not related to the loss of material objects, but to the loss of opportunities. We might feel like we missed too many opportunities in our youth., and that those that appear from now on we will no longer be able to take advantage of.

6. easy and frequent boredom

It is one of the most common symptoms, because the routine can become quite absorbing so that your time is limited in things that no longer generate the same emotions than before.

There are always alternatives, it is a matter of making a good distribution of your daily activities.

7. Insomnia

Difficulty sleeping at night often intensifies as a consequence of the invasive thoughts that come to our mind, during the night we usually review the things that happened to us during the day.

In the crisis of the 40s, the evaluation of our activities can take us even further back in time and make our thoughts wander for long hours.

To do? Coping with psychological discomfort

Now we will see some specific methods to face the crisis of 40 in women that will give positive results to the extent that you apply them and are constant.

1. Accept your age from a positive point of view, emphasizing your virtues

The fact of being 40 years old does not make a significant qualitative difference in terms of quality of life. Therefore, it is necessary to accept that age; If someone thinks it's wrong that there are women who are over thirty, it's their problem..

2. Practice new activities related to personal growth

There is no reason to assume that life will always stay the same.

3. Get out of your comfort zone

Distribute your time and find new challenges. There are still many motivating goals to reach.

4. Redefines the concept of age

Visualize your age as an opportunity to perfect yourself in new things taking advantage of your experience in life and what you have been able to gain along the way.

Avoid falling into self-pity, right now you have what it takes to do the things you set your mind to. Stay motivated, remember that you don't need the approval of others when you know what you want to do.

5. If necessary, attend psychotherapy

Sometimes it is normal to need help; Look for a professional who fits what you are looking for.