Picture this: You just got off a long nursing shift. You’re 40, tired, and find yourself googling “new career at 45.”
Perhaps you recently found yourself fantasising about quitting your nursing job, moving to a cabin in the woods, or beginning a pottery business to escape this job stress.
Why? Lately, as a nurse, you have felt less satisfied with your career. On top of that, every time you show up to work, you experience compassion fatigue. Research shows that compassion fatigue is often experienced by nurses with past trauma. Past trauma, coupled with workplace stressors, could also result in burnout and secondary traumatic stress.
Sometimes, all it takes to overcome a midlife transition is starting to focus more on your self-care and mental health.
If you are a nurse contemplating resigning from your job and packing your bags to hide out in the woods, take a breath. There are ways to take hold of your emotional wellbeing and navigate a midlife crisis.
First, what is a midlife crisis?
There are many definitions of what exactly a midlife crisis is. However, this one from the Indian Journal of Psychiatric Nursing nails it:
“The midlife crisis is a period of reflection, usually in the 30s to 50s, where individuals reassess their lives, often grappling with aging, unmet aspirations, and shifting priorities.”
This definition sums up a midlife crisis at its core: grappling with unmet aspirations and shifting priorities. When these two factors coincide, especially as a nurse, you may find yourself questioning your career and scouting out opportunities for personal growth.
Here are common signs of a midlife crisis:
- You question your career path almost every single day.
- You feel emotionally disconnected or unmotivated.
- You struggle with time management (which you didn't before) and find yourself constantly procrastinating on tasks that used to excite you.
- You experience anxiety and/or depression while at work and when returning from work.
- You are unable to sleep at night, with prodding thoughts of how to implement a change.
- You have developed bad habits to cope with uncomfortable feelings.
- You spontaneously do things you never did before (e.g., making extravagant purchases like buying a new car or shoes you can’t afford).
- You struggle with setting boundaries both in your professional and personal life.
- You’re overwhelmed and desire change even if you can’t define what that change is.
Before you start pricing out yurts or applying as a pottery instructor, take a step back. A midlife crisis in nursing is very common, and here’s how to handle it.
1. Find your people: Support groups
If you are experiencing a midlife crisis as a nurse, reach out. Nurses love to help each other but are famously bad at asking for help themselves.
Look for a community of nurses who are going through similar situations. You can find these support groups by joining an online nursing community or attending in-person gatherings near you.
Additionally, if you have been working as a nurse at the same job for years, consider confiding in your colleagues to see if they are also experiencing or have experienced a midlife transition.
Surrounding yourself with people who empathise with you may just be the perfect remedy for continuing to move forward and overcoming a midlife crisis.
2. Seek professional help
Having a nursing community is a great tool for navigating a midlife crisis, but it could take more than that.
Seek professional help if you feel overwhelmed or have serious mental health symptoms such as anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts. Some useful resources, such as national mental health hotlines, cater to nurses' concerns specifically.
Never be ashamed to reach out. Helping yourself is always the main priority before you can continue to help other people.
3. Map out your life goals
Once you are surrounded by a community or have professional help, then you can begin to map out your new life goals.
These may be goals related to career advancement or just carving out more time for yourself and your hobbies. Here is a short list of questions to ask yourself to aid in defining these goals:
- What makes me truly happy? (Baking, cooking, reading, exercise, gathering with friends, etc.)
- What is it that I am struggling with most lately? (Sleepless nights, feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, depression, etc.)
- How can I begin to prioritize self-care in my daily routine?
- Where do I see myself in five years?
- What steps can I take to get there?
These questions are just the starting point for drafting a roadmap to navigate a midlife crisis. Taking small steps each day towards your objectives will help you achieve the future you envision for yourself.
4. Explore a career change
Since debating a career change is a common indicator of a midlife crisis, this could be your sign to shake things up.
In other words, in some cases, a career change or transition is exactly what you need as a nurse when you are going through a midlife transition. Career satisfaction is a key component in keeping you motivated throughout the day, so here are some things to consider:
- Consider a different nursing specialty—what about pediatrics, psych, ICU, or hospice?
- Enroll in a course or certification that assists in skill-building for your new specialty or advancement path.
- Transition from an employee to a PRN nurse, allowing for more flexibility and the exploration of different healthcare environments.
If you are really fed up with nursing, or you feel that your mental health is at stake, a complete career change could be in order. If this is the case, make sure you have as much time as you need to reflect and consider your next move.
5. Take the leap
After finding help, mapping out your goals, and exploring a career advancement path, take the leap to make a change.
After weighing all your options, take the necessary steps to pursue a new opportunity. Remember to consider both the short-term and long-term implications of your decision before taking the leap.
Whatever you choose, you’ve got this.
The plot twist you didn’t know you needed
Plot twist: A midlife crisis is a wake-up call, not a breakdown; it’s a chance to stop living on autopilot and start living the life you want.
A midlife crisis in nursing may feel like rock bottom, but it is actually an opportunity to figure out what you love and who you are now. As a nurse, you can begin to ask the big questions like “what makes me truly happy” or “where do I see myself in five years?”
You’re not lost, you’re simply evolving.
Experiencing a midlife crisis as a nurse might just be your most powerful chapter of life yet.
Considering a change? Here’s some further reading: Should I retire as a nurse?
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