Summary

The article suggests that engaging in physical activity and creative pursuits can effectively combat mid-life crises by providing purpose and fulfillment.

Abstract

The article addresses the common stereotype of a mid-life crisis and offers a two-step solution to overcome the feelings of stagnation and sadness that often accompany this stage of life. It emphasizes the importance of staying active and creative, suggesting that these activities can lead to a more satisfying and purposeful second half of life. The author shares personal experiences and insights from others who have found happiness through consistent exercise and creative endeavors, such as writing, painting, or starting a business. The article encourages readers to find their own creative outlets, stressing that the pursuit should be driven by personal fulfillment rather than solely for financial gain.

Opinions

The author believes that the typical mid-life crisis portrayal is inaccurate and that most people simply feel stuck and depressed.
Engaging in physical activity is necessary but insufficient on its own for a fulfilling life; creative endeavors are equally important.
Society undervalues creative activities, mistakenly prioritizing productivity within the capitalist framework over personal fulfillment.
The author advocates for continuous creation, whether through writing, art, or other forms, as a means to happiness and suggests it can also provide supplemental income.
The article criticizes the sedentary lifestyle promoted by modern conveniences, arguing that humans are not built for constant inactivity.
The author cites musician James Taylor's perspective on sobriety and activity as an example of finding purpose beyond traditional achievements like career, marriage, and family.
The article concludes that creating something out of nothing is key to finding purpose and suggests that readers share their transformative creative experiences in the comments.

These 2 positive activities can end your depressing mid-life crisis now

There is a stereotypical view, propagated by media and pop culture, of the common mid-life crisis.

Usually, it’s a grey-haired dude behind the wheel of a red sportscar on his way to hit on girls half his age.

The guy is seen as joyously chasing ridiculous passions as a way to compensate for his advancing age and dead dreams.

In fact, I think most people suffering from a mid-life crisis aren’t skydiving or getting cosmetic surgery.

They’re just stuck and sad. Depressed. Catatonic.

Faced with the fact half of their life is now behind them and with everything society says they should chase (career, house, spouse, kids) now chased, they are left to ask…

“Is this all there is?”

Is this the rest of my life? Working this boring job to pay this stupid mortgage and going through the motions of a personal life and relationships that have lost all passion?

While these mid-life doldrums may feel inescapable, I think there is a simple, two-step process to shake yourself loose.

I stumbled upon it myself by accident, but I can tell you with the utmost confidence: it works.

Modern life can feel like running on a hamster wheel. (Photo by Matt Bero on Unsplash)

The solution

Earlier this week, I wrote about how some Boomers’ internet habits are making me sad. They spend all day responding to memes or corporate social media accounts. Or they’re getting mad at the news or the TV and sending email forwards about it.

But what I’ve learned from people doing retirement right is that they aren’t on computers or in front of the TV.

They’re out hiking or playing pickleball or hitting the gym in a way that’s appropriate for their age.

And they’re creating something.

Many choose writing and share their thoughts here. Others paint. Others do consulting work as a business.

Their happiness, and the happiness I’ve found at a time when I should be deep into my own mid-life crisis, comes down to two things.

In my experience, the two-part solution is:

MOVE
CREATE

The first one is the easy part, but I can tell you from personal experience: it won’t work without the second.

You may feel fit, but you will not feel fulfilled.

What can you create?

What can you write, draw, dance, paint, build?

These kinds of activities have been so devalued by our society it makes me sick.

The “learn to code” crew would have you believe that anything you do should be aimed at making you a cog in the machine of capitalism and that anything else is a childish waste of time.

This is nonsense, and it’s preventing people from seeing that the secret to a happy second half of life is to keep striving, keep creating.

Could your creative pursuit be starting your own business? Developing a charity organization that helps people in your community? Learning a language so you can better communicate with people at your next travel destination? Building luxury birdhouses to sell? Fixing old cars and flipping them?

My point is, it has to be something.

Netflix isn’t a raison d’etre.

And I can tell you, as someone who chose writing as my CREATE activity and pulled in close to $4,000 last month doing something that brings me personal and creative fulfillment, it is possible to stay creative and generate some extra spending money at the same time.

But money shouldn’t be your main impetus.

What is your creative escape hatch? (Photo by Jie Wang on Unsplash)

Nice to have something to do

My ADHD brain is uncomfortable at rest.

It’s one of the reasons I think I’ve struggled with alcohol abuse in the past.

It’s the reason I write here.

It’s the reason I’m always out on a walk or at the gym.

It was only when I stopped fighting against my nature that I really figured out how to be happy.

I used to drink alcohol every night just so I could sit still on the couch and watch TV for 2–3 hours, an activity society deems good and “normal”.

But I don’t think we, as humans, are built for a stationary life.

I don’t think we humans were built for a life where everything is available at the click of a button.

I don’t think we were built for sitting on the couch.

A story I like to tell is that of the musician James Taylor. Nobody has ever explained the way my brain works better.

Here’s what he told the WTF podcast back in 2015 during a discussion about his sobriety:

“The way I felt about it was that, the way I’ve come to feel about it, is that I was probably, like, rowing some Viking boat across the seas in a former life.

“And when you sit me down in a sort of suburban context, my nervous system and my body and my entire wiring is just not ready for it.

“I’m ready for something else. I’m ready for war, I’m ready to battle the elements or to raid villages or defend villages.

“But I’m not comfortable on the couch watching baseball.”

Peace from purpose

Taylor really embraced fitness as a replacement for drugs, and fitness is definitely important.

In fact, in many ways, fitness can fulfill your CREATE function too, depending on how you approach it and build off it.

But whatever your approach, one thing you need to make sure you have is purpose.

The trick to finding purpose is to create something out of nothing.

Once you’ve created a career, created a marriage, created a family … that can’t be the end.

So, what are you going to bring into this world today?

Has a creative endeavor changed your life? Let me know in the comments!

Get an email every time I publish so you don’t miss a story!