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The phrase midlife woman can strike fear and denial into anyone moving into their mid to late 30's. In fact, many of us deny the actual age midlife starts and doubt we could possibly be even close to it.
Whilst shifting the start of midlife from mid 30's to mid-40's would be nice, I'm afraid its something we can't control. Whether we like it or not our bodies will tell us when we reach midlife. Remember adolescence? We couldn't control the onslaught of adolescent hormones because our bodies betrayed us - the same applies for midlife. When it happens it happens so accept it and go along for the ride.
Our bodies are wired genetically to send out midlife signals when we approach our mid to late 30's. Hormones start whizzing around and the brain begins to rewire itself. This is why the world looks different from when we were in our 20's. Life takes on a different meaning and its like seeing a color for the first time; midlife is seeing the rest of our lives for the first time.
To be a midlife woman doesn't mean that you are old, only that you are no longer youthful. So why is reaching midlife such a problem for many of us? Does it really matter that you don't look or feel 18 any more? How about the compensation of knowing that you care less what people think about you, are happier to voice your opinions and aren't worried about trying to please everyone all the time
Midlife is as an opportunity to be different. That is, different from the person you were in your youth. The compensation for ageing is that we start to think about ourselves and our needs a little more. We can re-evaluate our relationships and our lifestyles and hopefully avoid a nasty midlife crisis.
So don't deny that you have reached midlife. Denial means you will miss an important transition and overlook the many exciting and challenging directions your life can take. This is why I've coined the motto: 'Make midlife happen for you and not just to you.'
