If you’re wondering how to overcome identity crisis at 40, let’s explore the what, why, and how of overcoming this challenge.
Navigating the Identity Crisis at 40
When I reached my 40s I was knocked off balance by feeling like I’d lost myself somewhere along the way. After years of playing various roles in my life and prioritizing the needs of others, I found my day-to-day life no longer resonated.I think it’s the norm to go through a bit of an identity crisis at midlife if you’ve given up most of your time and energy to caregiving and striving to live up to expectations like I did. With that in mind—let’s explore the what, why and how of overcoming the challenge of an identity crisis at 40.What is an identity crisis at age 40?
- For women in their 40s an identity crisis comes down to a conflict of internal desires (and questioning what those actually are) versus external pressures.
- It often involves a desire for more authenticity—our current situation no longer aligns with our authentic self.
What are the signs of an identity crisis?
- Confusion about what you want
- Feeling like you’re just going through the motions or forcing yourself to do things
- Feeling like you’re interests have changed
- Lacking fulfillment
- Regularly feeling frustrated and angry
- Feeling lost and disconnected
- Craving change but not able to identify what that should look like
- General dissatisfaction with areas of life such as work, relationships or achievements
- Desire for new experiences as a way to explore your identity
What are the causes of an identity crisis?
- Women are programmed by society from an early age to follow a formula that’s supposed to bring success and happiness.
- By the time you reach age 40 you may have spent years living a life that you don’t really want to be living
- You may be afraid to try new things because in some way it doesn’t fit into the plan that you believe you should be following.
- You forgot about yourself as you auto-piloted your way through various roles and tried to live up to the expectations that others had of you and “self” was left along the way.
- You haven’t developed that part of you and as a result you don’t know what you want or how to express it.
How to Overcome Identity Crisis at 40
- To overcome this requires some work—you need to give yourself time and space to understand and clarify your true values so you can make choices based on what genuinely matters to you rather than societal conditioning.
- Values are things that are most important to you and should be the most meaningful drivers behind the way that you make decisions.
- Before you can expect others to understand what you want and need — you need to get very clear on it yourself.
- That will take some work. It’s amazing how many years you can drift through life not tuned into your beliefs, values, needs and desires. You will only know them if you make an effort to examine them.
Additional Resources
Facing an identity crisis at 40? If so, you’re not alone. Many of us reach this stage in life feeling disconnected and unsure of our path. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Let’s explore how you can rediscover yourself and regain the confidence to move forward. Book your free consultation today!
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– Liane Wansbrough | High-Performance Coach
