Could a midlife crisis be the MAKING OF YOU?

It affects up to 20% of us in our 40s and 50s

- VERONIQUE HAWKSWORTH

What do you think of when you imagine a midlife crisis? Men in their 50s splashing out on a sports car? Women getting their first tattoo or dyeing their hair bright pink? It might sound stereotypical, but there’s nothing like the fear of ageing to make you do something outrageous. But it affects everyone differently, and even celebs can have a midlife blip.

Former boxer David Haye recently admitted he might be having a midlife crisis, amid his party lifestyle and throuple relationship. And it’s rumoured that Reese Witherspoon’s recent split from her husband of 12 years was fuelled by his midlife crisis. According to a new report, the pandemic triggered a second midlife crisis in many over 50s. But does a blip in our 40s or 50s need to spell disaster? Is it possible to embrace it and come out stronger than ever? Woman investigates…

‘I STARTED RE-EVALUATING MY LIFE’

Linzi Kavanagh, 46, is a divorce coach and lives in Glasgow.
After I got married and had kids, my life just seemed to be racing by. My 30s were consumed with being a stay-at-home mum and running a house, and I had little time for myself. Then, after 16 years of marriage, in 2018, my husband and I separated and started going through a divorce.

Suddenly, life as I knew it changed and I felt like I was back out in the world on my own. Our children, then 12, 10 and eight, were obviously my first priority, but the pressure of figuring out how to juggle finding work, while still being a good mum, was anxiety inducing.