Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships
Forget the midlife crisis—how about creating midlife calm? The stress and anxiety of this life stage can be overwhelming, draining your energy, and making it hard to enjoy what should be the best years of your life. This podcast is your guide to easing midlife anxiety and discovering a deeper sense of calm. Discover how to: - Be happier, more present, and more effective at home and work. - Transform stress and anxiety into powerful tools that ignite your inner energy, helping you gain clarity and confidently meet your needs. - Cultivate calm and enjoyment by creating a positive internal mindset using practical, affordable coping skills to handle life's challenges. Join MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, a seasoned therapist with over 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years’ experience as a mental wellness educator as she guides you on a journey to reclaim your inner peace. Learn how to find contentment in the present moment, empowering you to handle the pressures of midlife with a confidence clarity that leads to calm. Every Monday, MJ delves into the unique challenges of midlife, offering insights and concluding each episode with an "Inner Challenge"—simple, science-backed techniques designed to shift you from feeling overwhelmed to centered. Tune in every Thursday for a brief 5-10 minute "Inner Challenge Tune-Up," where MJ offers easy-to-follow tips to integrate these practices into your daily life. Let’s evolve from crisis to calm and embrace the incredible journey of midlife. Tired of feeling overwhelmed? Tune into fan-favorite Ep. 63 for a boost! Let anxiety go and embrace your calm!
Episodes
Why do your efforts to silence your inner critic never seem to last?
You’re not alone—midlife anxiety and stress often thrive when criticism becomes a daily habit.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. Why calming your outer critic is the real key to quieting your inner critic
2. How midlife stress, anxiety, and overthinking are fueled by cultural patterns of criticism
3. The surprising science of what critici...
Can fifteen brave seconds really be enough to move you out of loneliness in midlife?
You’re not alone—many people feel stuck in midlife loneliness while also battling anxiety and stress.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- Why Mel Robbins’ 200-hour friendship rule doesn’t capture the reality of connection in midlife
- How self-knowledge and social intelligence can make friendship easier and quicker to build
- Why anxiety—not time—is the r...
Does your busyness cover up midlife loneliness without truly easing your anxiety and stress?
You’re not alone—belonging often fades when school, church, or work communities disappear, leaving a quiet ache.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. Why loneliness in midlife reminds us that busyness doesn’t equal belonging.
2. How belonging shifts once familiar communities disappear—and why creating connection becomes a DIY proj...
Do you know how the natural comfort of Fall can be used as a science-backed way to calm anxiety?
You’re not alone—many in midlife overlook how the season itself can offer coping skills that reduce stress and restore resilience.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. How to add physical comfort in ways that calm your nervous system and reduce midlife stress
2. Simple but powerful psychospiritual coping skills for...
Are you overlooking the comfort of fall that could become a powerful coping skill for midlife stress and anxiety?
You’re not alone—many people miss how seasonal routines and autumn comforts can ease anxiety and strengthen resilience.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How the comfort of fall can anchor you in calm and reduce stress and anxiety in midlife
- The surprising difference between soothing and comfort—and why only one t...
What if science could show you a way to finally get free from anxiety in midlife?
You’re not alone—so many believe anxiety is something they just have to manage, but research and real-life practice prove otherwise.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- Why your amygdala often misfires and fuels unnecessary anxiety
- How blame and avoidance quietly keep you stuck in midlife stress
- The one science-backed coping skill that retrains...
Have you ever acted on anxiety, only to find out later your brain got it wrong?
You’re not alone — your brain’s alarm system can misinform, and knowing how to respond changes everything.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. What your amygdala is and why it can trigger anxiety even when you’re safe
2. Three science-backed coping skills to calm your amygdala
3. How to shift from anxious reactions that cause mistakes to c...
Do you feel like your nest is empty… but your kids still need you just as much?
You’re not alone — this “in-between” stage is one of the most emotionally confusing seasons of midlife.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- Why the empty nest often feels more like a “messy middle” than a clean break.
- The Four D’s every parent needs to recognize — and how they shape your response.
- Practical coping skills to help you update your r...
Does your “empty nest” still feel full of emotions, memories, and a surprising amount of daily connection?
You’re not alone if this shift feels more complicated than you imagined.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. Why the empty nest often brings unexpected waves of emotion in midlife
2. How savoring your home can be a powerful coping skill during times of transition
3. Practical ways to reduce the pressure to ...
Ever feel like your mind is spiraling but your body can’t catch up?
You’re not alone—midlife anxiety and stress often demand more than just logic or positive thinking.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- Why your five senses are some of the fastest, most effective coping skills for anxiety and stress
- What to do when your usual calming strategies aren’t enough to reset your system
- How to build a personal “grounding routine” u...
How do you begin to feel safe and steady again after experiencing a shooting?
You don’t have to have all the answers, and you don’t have to go through this alone.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- The most important steps to protect your safety, body, and mind in the first days after a shooting
- How to gently reintroduce routine and emotional regulation in the following week
- Grounding practices and therapy options that can help you h...
Is your anxiety hijacking your mind before you even notice it?
You’re not alone—and you don’t have to stay stuck in the cycle.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. How to identify your unique anxiety signals before they take over
2. Why grounding your body in the present interrupts anxiety faster than thinking
3. A 90-second coping skill you can use daily to stay calm, focused, and present
🎧 Take 10 minutes to stop anx...
Can imagining success actually reduce stress in midlife—or is that just wishful thinking?
You’re not the only one who doubts simple coping skills when stress feels overwhelming.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. A real-life listener’s story of using the “mental movie” coping skill to calm stress before a job interview
2. How running the mental movie three times helps ease resistance and create calm
3. ...
Is midlife stress making even simple tasks feel overwhelming?
There’s a powerful, brain-based coping skill that can help you stop avoiding and start doing—with more calm and clarity.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. Why your brain resists certain tasks—and how to gently override it
2. A simple science backed coping skill that transforms stress and boosts motivation
3. A real-life example of how this simple shift he...
How do you begin to feel safe and steady again after experiencing a shooting?
You don’t have to have all the answers, and you don’t have to go through this alone.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- The most important steps to protect your safety, body, and mind in the first days after a shooting
- How to gently reintroduce routine and emotional regulation in the following week
- Grounding practices and therapy options that can help you h...
Are daily chores leaving you overwhelmed and anxious in midlife?
There’s a free tool that can feel like a coping skill when life starts to pile up.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How to use one simple, free tool to break down overwhelming household tasks into calm, manageable steps
- Why this tool helps reduce decision fatigue and supports your mental clarity without replacing your inner voice
- How to experiment with this ...
Are your mornings setting the tone for anxiety—or for calm?
Peaceful mornings aren’t a personality trait—they’re a midlife leadership skill you can learn and teach.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. How to use coping skills that shift your mornings from chaos to calm
2. Why peaceful mornings begin the night before—with structure and buy-in
3. How to lead your household like a lighthouse, not a drill sergeant
Start yo...
Are you dreading the back-to-school transition—and noticing it’s affecting your whole household?
Back-to-school doesn’t have to mean breakdowns. You can lead with calm instead of chaos.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. The value of naming your feelings about back-to-school.
2. How understanding the difference between stress and anxiety can help you get sh*t done.
3. Why your leadership matters—and...
Are you using the wrong coping skill for what you’re actually feeling?
Stress and anxiety may look similar on the outside—but they need very different responses to truly feel better.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How to tell whether you’re feeling stress or anxiety in real-time
- Why using the WRONG coping skill won't work for stress / anxiety
- A simple guide to matching the right coping skill to each emotion—so you stop...
Are you using the wrong coping skill for what you’re actually feeling?
Understanding the difference between stress and anxiety can help you respond more effectively and feel calmer faster.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How to recognize the difference between stress and anxiety in your body and mind
- Why coping skills that help with stress can make anxiety worse—and vice versa
- Two powerful questions that help you choose ...
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