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Are You Having a Late-Life Crisis?
It can be more challenging than a midlife crisis, but there are ways to return to smooth sailing
Lately, I’ve noticed a few of my senior friends making poor life choices.
One divorced his wife of 40+ years to move to Mexico and sunbathe on the beach. Another went on a spending spree and has crammed her home with tchotchkes and collectibles she doesn’t need. A third couldn’t wait to retire, but now that it’s finally happened, he spends his days napping, day-drinking, and binge-watching the Golf Channel.
Not long ago, all of these friends led sensible, successful lives. Which leads me to wonder: What the heck happened?
Life coach Richard Leider has a theory: Many seniors go through a late-life crisis — a phase marked by dissatisfaction, loss of identity, and the feeling that “the good old days” are now long gone.
It’s related to its famous younger sibling — the midlife crisis — but different. While the midlife crisis is typically about the loss of opportunities, the late-life crisis is more about the loss of relevance.
“During the midlife crisis, you dye your hair and buy a sports car,” says Leider, co-author of the book Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old? The Path of Purposeful Aging. “But…
