Feel like you’re going through a midlife crisis? Don’t worry, it’s pretty common. Many men experience a breakdown between the ages of 35 and 55. It’s not known exactly why it happens, but many experts think it’s brought on by the social pressures of work, relationships, and family life. Here’s how to cope with a midlife crisis.

Acknowledge your fears

The first step to coping with a midlife crisis is to work out why it’s happening? Sometimes it is based on a lull in a relationship. Other times, it’s a realization of aging and mortality. However, a midlife crisis can come from anywhere. Therefore, it’s important to do some self-reflection and find out the cause. If this is proving difficult, it could be worth going to therapy. A professional therapist will guide you through the process.

Talk to your doctor

Sometimes, a midlife crisis can be caused by an underlying medical problem. For example, low testosterone symptoms often line up with the symptoms experienced by people going through a midlife crisis or breakdown. Therefore, it’s worth talking to your doctor and getting a general health checkup.

Seek relationship counseling

If you have second thoughts about a long-term relationship, you need to talk to your partner and seek relationship counseling. It can be tempting to be unfaithful to your partner, but this will cause more stress and hurt further down the line. Instead, try to work out if the problem is fixable. Your partner should appreciate you bringing up the problem before ending the relationship. Often, people who cheat on their partners come to regret it later.

Focus your energy onto something positive

During a midlife crisis, it can be tempting to try and relive your youth. You might get a tattoo, start smoking and drinking, or even buy an expensive sports car you can’t afford (this happens so often it has become a cliché). However, it’s much better to try and direct your energy into something more positive. For example, you could take up exercise with a personal trainer. You will quickly notice how it makes you feel more level.

Mindful meditation

A midlife crisis can feel messy. You might feel emotional and angry. You might feel depressed and anxious. However, a lot of these feelings can be calmed through regular mindful meditation. Half an hour of mindful meditation every day will make you feel calmer in no time. If you’re not used to meditating, download a guided meditation app and work your way through it.

Steer clear of social media

Social media is often the first place people turn when they’re feeling down. However, it can have a negative effect. For example, if your relationship isn’t working well, seeing people post a couple of pictures can make you feel down. So while you work through your midlife crisis, it’s a good idea to have a break from social media.

Embrace your creative side

A midlife crisis can happen when you lose touch with your former self. For example, if you used to play in a band but you haven’t picked up an instrument in years, it can make you miss the past. This can be solved by embracing your creative side. Start a new band just for fun, start oil painting, or start writing that novel. Do something that helps you escape your day-to-day life.