Name: The midlife crisis.
Age: So it generally happens between the ages of 40 and 60.
Not quite yet for me then. And crisis why, exactly? There can be many reasons but at this stage of your life you might start to wonder where it all went, to have feelings of nostalgia and regret, to question some of the choices you’ve made, perhaps even to wonder about your very purpose and identity. Certainly you will be pondering mortality.
Bummer. Which is why it often leads to anxiety, depression and inner turmoil.
And what do you do about it? Well, talking to someone about it would probably be a good idea. But traditionally you get some work done …
Knuckle down and hope it goes away? No! Cosmetic work, like a butt lift or a nice new set of teeth. And then you buy a big motorbike, or an expensive sports car, and go travelling and clubbing, learn to breakdance and have an inappropriate affair.
Cool, looking forward to it. Well, hold it right there – it might not happen.
Because I’ve made all the right choices, and will be totally content with my lot? No, because you can’t afford it.
Can’t afford a midlife crisis? Exactly that. In a US survey of 1,000 millennials by Thriving Center of Psychology, 81% said they couldn’t afford to have a midlife crisis.
What is the Thriving Center? They do therapy, across the US. Attending therapy is a common experience for someone going through a midlife crisis. See also weight gain or loss, increased booze consumption, changing appearance and taking up a new hobby.
And why is it that millennials can’t afford them? Because they earn 20% less than boomers did at that age. Also because of student debt, inflation, cost of living and house prices, etc.
These all sound like reasons for crisis, rather than reasons for no crisis. Well, that’s true. Interestingly, while 58% of millennials said they don’t have time for a midlife crisis, half of those surveyed said they do expect to have one.
So it might not be that we won’t go through life changes and worries, just that they could look different from the ones our parents went through? And you might mark them differently. Mason Farmani, a personal life coach, told Fortune: “The term ‘midlife crisis’ may need to be redefined in the context of this generation’s experiences and circumstances.”
Do say: “Can you get therapy on Temu?”
Don’t say: “I’ll take the Lambo, but I want it in yellow.”
