How to Help Your Guy through a Mid-Life Crisis

When someone thinks or speaks of a mid-life crisis, most often the conversation veers toward the impact and difficulties women suffer through while going through such a time. However, mid-life crises can influence men just as much as they impact women.

Signs of a Mid-Life Crisis

There are many ways to recognize if your man is going through a mid-life crisis, and there are many ways to guide him through one, too.

* Withdrawing – You may notice that your man is going through extended periods of withdrawal time wherein he simply does not want to interact or communicate with you. He may also be spending quite a bit of time alone, such as down in the basement or in the garage.

* Being more social – You may have noticed that your partner is suddenly, after decades of being quite introverted, becoming more and more social. He may want to try new things such as golf or poker. Spending more and more time with the boys may become more important to him. Accepting invitations to go out solo is another possible indicator that he is going through the beginning stages of a mid-life crisis.

* Purchasing new items – Your partner may be buying new items that are big-ticket items at that. He may be in the market for a new vehicle or a brand new set of gold clubs when his golf clubs are barely used. A motorcycle seems to be one of the favored big-ticket items that men purchase during mid-life crisis.

How to Help

Once you begin to recognize the signs of a mid-life crisis, it is a little bit easier to assist him through this life event. You can do this in several ways:

* Give him some space – Sometimes all your partner needs is the space to go through this rite of passage, so to speak. Nagging him and weighing him down with your worries and concerns will only push him away. Take a step back and give him some room to breathe.

* Do not make it about you – Do not make your partner’s mid-life crisis become all about you. Do not take everything and anything he says or does not say personally. It is something he is going through and not necessarily having anything to do with you.

* Learn when to speak and when to stay silent – Watch for the signals of when he is reaching out to you and when he is withdrawing. When he withdraws, take a step back and let him go through the process on his own. When he leans toward you and is ready to open up, no matter how busy you are, stop what you are doing, and make time to listen. Do not give unwarranted advice, just simply be, and listen.

These are just some of the signals of a man’s mid-life crisis and some of the tools and tips you can use to get him through.