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
Are you quietly grieving while still showing up for everyone else?
Your kids need you differently, and your parent needs you more—everything inside can start to shift.
In this episode you’ll discover:
- A deeper understanding of how anxiety and buziness in midlife often masks hidden grief of these profound relationship changes
- Practical coping tools to manage emotional overwhelm and identity shifts
- Language to name...
Feeling mentally drained by caring for both your kids and aging parents?
You might be carrying an invisible load that’s fueling your anxiety—and it’s more common than you think.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. 3 transformative coping skills to ease the mental weight of caregiving.
2. How to identify what’s your responsibility and what isn’t to decrease
overwhelm.
3. Why updating y...
Are you blaming yourself for being too tired in a crisis?
Loss, illness, or major life upheaval can leave you emotionally raw and physically depleted.
In this episode you’ll discover:
- Why exhaustion hits so hard during crisis and doable ways to get more energy.
- Simple but effective coping skills to regulate your nervous system to improve your sleep and stay grounded.
- How to find strength in receiving care from...
What do you do when everything falls apart?
Shifting from a reactive to a reflective mindset can make all the difference.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. A step-by-step process to ground yourself during emotional shock using body-based coping skills
2. The “tend and befriend” mindset that helps you move through pain and anger with compassion
3. Real-life stories showing how vulnerability—not anger...
Is your anxiety spiking every time Trump’s tariffs make headlines?
You’re not alone—and it’s not just about politics, it’s about your nervous system.
In this episode you’ll discover:
- How to shift from news-induced anxiety to calm by using this 2 simple technique.
- How guided meditation can help to reduce anxiety around world events, like Trump's tariffs
- The brain science behind this 1 essential hack to physi...
Feeling overwhelmed by the uncertainty of the economy and unsure how to stay grounded?
Discover calming, practical strategies—whether you’re stressing about college costs, retirement, or just making it to next payday.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why your brain spirals into anxiety during economic uncertainty — and how to calm it
- The unexpected power of nature-based meditation (even if you’re not into med...
Is your anxiety quietly fueling a sense of loneliness you can't quite name?
You may be crushing your to-do list but still feeling emotionally isolated or unseen, you’re not alone.
In this episode you’ll discover:
- How anxiety masks itself as busyness, numbing, and overthinking in midlife
- Why avoiding connection increases loneliness—and how to gently reverse it
- Two powerful (and doable) coping skills ...
Loneliness in midlife often creeps in unnoticed.
You go through the motions—work, family, responsibilities—but something feels off.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- Why midlife loneliness is so common and why it often goes unrecognized.
- Four powerful strategies to build deeper, more fulfilling connections.
- How small, intentional actions can help you feel seen, heard, and truly connected again.
Loneliness...
Are you secretly scared to feel your feelings—especially in the middle of setting boundaries?
Setting boundaries is essential, especially if you want to get your wants & needs to be heard.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How a guest pushes back on MJ's 5 science-backed coping skills--making them even more usable.
- Real talk on emotional stamina—why feeling your feelings actually builds strengt...
Is anxiety stopping you from setting the boundaries you know you need?
Get a clear, simple strategy to move through fear and finally take action to get what you want and need.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- 5 simple, actionable coping skills to manage anxiety when it flares up around boundary-setting
- Real-life client stories that show how midlife anxiety shows up in sneaky ways—and how to work with it
- A practical sc...
Are you constantly pushing yourself to the max, yet feeling exhausted and on edge?
Doing less could actually help you achieve more.
In this episode you’ll discover:
1. Why striving for perfection might be holding you back.
2. Two powerful midlife coping skills that make relaxation actually work for you.
3. How shifting to an 80% effort mindset can prevent burnout and improve productivity.
Press play now to unloc...
Do you feel like you're constantly running, as if a boulder is chasing you downhill?
You can be successful and driven without the fear and exhaustion.
In this episode you’ll discover:
- What truly fuels your success—it’s not your anxiety.
- Learn how to update your self-image and move through life with less urgency and more ease.
- Reframe your daily mindset by shifting from "I have to" to "I get to"...
Are your midlife hormones working for you or against you?
What if you could become your own hormone detective and start with the right tests and lifestyle changes?
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. The three essential hormones that impact your midlife health the most.
- How to talk to your doctor and get the right lab tests without frustration.
- Three simple, doable lifestyle changes that can help balance your hor...
Are you focusing on the wrong hormones in midlife?
Many women believe estrogen is the key to feeling better, but what if the real secret lies elsewhere.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. The three essential hormones that impact your mood, weight, and sleep.
2. Why your ovaries act like The Odd Couple and how that explains your hormonal ups and downs.
3. The surprising connection between your thyroid and your ...
Tired of feeling stuck in negative thoughts?
Your brain is wired to focus on the bad—but you don’t have to stay trapped in that cycle.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. The science behind negativity bias and how to use this four-step method to hack your mind so you can experience more joy, calm, and fulfillment.
2. How to retrain your brain to focus on the positive—without toxic positivity or ignoring reality.
3. ...
Ever had a frightening thought pop into your head that you just can’t shake?
Intrusive thoughts happen to everyone, but without the right tools, they can spiral into anxiety, stress, and sleepless nights.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. How to recognize intrusive thoughts before they take over.
2. A powerful four-step process backed by science to stop anxious thoughts in their tracks.
3. A fun brain hack th...
Feeling overwhelmed by the financial burden of college?
Navigating these tough conversations with your child without guilt, stress, or unnecessary conflict is not easy.
In this episode, you’ll discover
- Five essential coping strategies to make informed, confident financial decisions while strengthening your relationship with your child.
- How to engage your child in financial discussions—even if they’re resistant—an...
Have you ever felt the gut punch of watching your child face rejection—whether from a dream school, a job, or an opportunity they worked so hard for?
For midlife parents, March brings more than blooming flowers—it’s also a season of tough decisions and, for many, painful rejections.
In this episode, you’ll discover
1. Three essential coping strategies to help your child process rejection in a healthy way.
2. What NOT to ...
Ep. 133 4 Coping Skills to Handle a Critical Boss & Transform Midlife Self-Doubt into Self-Assurance
Is your boss constantly demanding more while offering little support or recognition?
If their negativity is draining your confidence, it’s time to shift the way you respond.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. How to stop taking your boss’s behavior personally—because it’s not about you.
2. A mindset shift that frees up your mental energy and puts you back in control.
3. Practical tools to bu...
Have you ever stepped into a new—whether at work, in your community, or in your personal life—only to feel like an imposter?
Don’t let "imposter syndrome" take over and crush this great opportunity.
In this episode you’ll discover:
1. Why the term “imposter syndrome” is outdated and how it may be holding you back.
2. Three proven coping skills to reduce anxiety and step into new roles with confidence.
3....
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