Improving Your Mental Health

One spouse or both spouses feeling the heat of a midlife crisis can be difficult for everyone in the household. A midlife crisis often happens when people feel as if life is passing them by or they are living unfulfilled. During this time, some people attempt to make changes, from slight to drastic. If you or your spouse are going through a midlife crisis it may be a good idea to seek out marriage counseling during this trying time. Here are some reasons why marriage counseling is best for the crisis. 

Learning needs in the new relationship

Over time, as a couple settles into marriage, children, and careers, life may become a routine of just getting things done. If someone is going through a midlife crisis due to feeling unfulfilled, there is a chance that their needs may have changed. If your spouse has new desires from the marriage, such as going on dates, participating in an important hobby, or even changing locations, you will need to learn what they expect from the relationship.

Help in understanding that it is not personal

It is not uncommon for one spouse to take it personally when the other spouse goes through a midlife crisis. They can often feel as if they are the reason for any unhappiness or feel blamed for unfulfilled life desires. Marriage counseling can help the couple to learn how to effectively communicate how they are feeling and why they are feeling that way. Some people may learn that their spouse is actually upset about not being able to fulfill some of the desires that they had as a couple or has feelings of inadequacy that led to the crisis. 

Getting on the same page

Any married couple needs to be on the same page in order to have a successful marriage. For instance, if one spouse wants to move or wants to make a career change, this will have major consequences for the rest of the household. It is important to have a marriage facilitator to help with understanding each person's new needs and determining what can be changed or what may need to be delayed or re-evaluated. Once a couple is able to understand why one person wants to make certain changes, they can proceed in a healthy manner.  Reconstructing the life that you have together may be necessary during a midlife crisis, but this life could turn out the be the better half.