Episode #72
EP 72: Midlife Crisis or Midlife Awakening? The Psychology of Starting Over After 40 | Dr. Sarah Sarkis
Psychologist Dr. Sarah Sarkis returns to The Loop Podcast to talk about the psychology of midlife and why the changes that happen in your 40s and 50s can feel so uncomfortable. Stephanie and Sarah break down the idea of a “midlife crisis” and look at what’s actually happening when your identity, relationships, career, family life, hormones, and priorities all begin shifting at the same time. Sarah explains why discomfort doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong, how the things that worked earlier in life may need to be upgraded, and why the whispers telling you something needs to change can eventually become impossible to ignore. Stephanie also shares what this has looked like in her own life, from divorce and rebuilding her identity to the recent challenges with Instagram, postponing her Loop event, and unexpectedly finding a new creative outlet on TikTok. They talk about what happens when your growth makes the people around you uncomfortable, why progress includes plateaus and even periods of regression, dealing with comparison and rejection, grieving an old version of your life, and learning to keep moving when you have no idea exactly where you're headed. Sarah also shares a different way to think about whether a major life change is “working”: sometimes constantly measuring your progress is perfectionism disguised as excellence. Stephanie and Sarah also preview the upcoming Aspen retreat , where Sarah will help women explore the stories they’re carrying into midlife, decide which ones still serve them, and become more intentional about what they want the next chapter of their lives to look like. Join Steph & Dr. Sarkis at the Loop retreat ( http://www.theloopway.com/events/aspen ), $500 off exclusively for podcast listeners available here: https://buy.stripe.com/8x27sKfz30JKb1S7jo3gk01
