Being married is hard. From financial issues to personality clashes and differing ideas and opinions, living with your spouse can at times seem like the biggest challenge of your life. For most couples, marriage gets into a type of rhythm after a few years. But at a certain point, you might notice that your spouse isn’t acting like him or herself. Upon further contemplation, you may come to find that your spouse is having a midlife crisis. And while this can have a big impact on a marriage, both emotionally and financially, there are things you can do to weather through this storm. To help with this, here are three tips for making it through your spouse’s midlife crisis.
Set Some Clear Boundaries
To ensure that your spouse feels like they have the freedom to make some of their own decisions without ruining your relationship or finances, Cathy Meyer, a contributor to LiveAbout.com, advises that you and your spouse set some clear boundaries.
Depending on what type of things your spouse is now interested during their midlife crisis, the boundaries you’ll want to set will vary. For example, you might want to set a limit on what your spouse is allowed to spend, especially if he or she is contemplating buying something like a motorcycle or plastic surgery. These boundaries should also state what you feel is completely off-limits during this time. Many couples will also hit a rough patch in their intimate relationship at this time, so it is important to talk this through and go over how you both can connect again whilst still having those boundaries. For instance, if one of you wants to bring certain ‘toys’ into the relationship such as a lelo sona, then you will need to see if this is okay to do, so you both feel comfortable in adjusting that part of your relationship. You need to reassure them at this time that you want to be there for them in any capacity.
Find A Support System
At a time such as this, you might feel like your spouse has temporarily become somewhat of a stranger to you. This can be very scary for the spouse that’s trying to be supportive and understanding. To help you through this tough emotional time, Pat Gaudette and Gay Courter, authors and contributors to Today.com, recommend that you find your own support system during this time. This might include joining a group of other spouses who are trying to get through this rough patch with their spouse as well.
Consider Going To Therapy
If things are getting particular hard on you and your relationship with your spouse, you might want to consider going to therapy to try to work through your issues. If this sounds like something you want to do, Marriage.com recommends that you go to these therapy sessions with your spouse, if at all possible, so you can work toward solutions together and strengthen your marriage more than ever before. While this might be a hard sell for some, it could be very well worth it in the end.
If your spouse is currently going through a midlife crisis that you don’t know how to deal with, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you maneuver through this difficult situation.
