Hey Reader
Why has the term "Midlife" fallen out of Vogue. No I don't mean the glossy magazine.
I was at a Women's Wellness event last week and I was intrigued to understand how woman today feel about the term "Midlife", do they still find it fitting for todays society, or does it grate on them like fingers on a blackboard. (Sorry if that's just made you go all goosebumpy)
Based on my research, and from some of the conversations in the room, here's what's happening with the term "Midlife" and why women in their 50s are pushing back against it:
Most Women Dislike "Midlife":
The term "Midlife" has become inseparable from "Midlife Crisis" in the cultural consciousness. For men, this might conjure images of sports cars and new adventures. But for women, it implies decline, irrelevance, and invisibility.
One lady told me, she feels it leads to sexual irrelevance and invisibility, "Because middle-aged women are considered sexually irrelevant. Being sexually irrelevant is apparently the worst thing a woman can be."Women feel the term signals they're "past their use-by date" while men of the same age are called "silver foxes."
It Doesn't Match How They Feel, as one 53-year-old woman said: "It feels way too old for how I actually feel." There's a massive disconnect between the energy, ambition, and vitality women feel at 50+ and what "midlife" culturally represents.
Negative stereotypes stack-up. Research from UC Berkeley shows middle-aged women face stereotypes of being:
- Less "nice"
- Naggy, frumpy, and grumpy
- Difficult and demanding
- Losing their warmth while gaining authority
- Boring / Dependable
- Lacking Sex Appeal
Life Stage vs. Chronological Age Women increasingly believe that life stages matter more than numbers. "Midlife" could mean you're:
- A new mother or an empty nester
- Starting a business or retiring
- Getting married or getting divorced
- Caregiving for parents or traveling the world
The same age bracket encompasses wildly different experiences.
So to cure my curiosity I asked, what would women in their 50's prefer instead?
I was quite surpirsed from what I heard, discovered as most popular alternative terms mentioned was:
✨ "Second / Next Chapter"
- Implies a fresh beginning, not an ending
- Suggests continued growth and new opportunities
- Frames this period as intentional and exciting
- Leans in to their life experiences and knowledge
✨ "Prime of Life"
- Emphasises peak experience, wisdom, and capability
- Reframes 50s as the HEIGHT, not the decline
- One movement is even called "50+ Is Prime Of Life"
- A time for excitment and rediscovery
- Suggests renewal, creativity, and transformation
- Moves away from "crisis" to "opportunity"
✨ "Reinvention Years"
- Focuses on agency and choice
- Celebrates career changes, new relationships, personal growth
- Empowers rather than diminishes
- Reignites who you were in your younger years, injecting excitment, passion and purpose
✨ "Established Adulthood"
- Used by researchers to distinguish from traditional "Midlife"
- Acknowledges that people are living longer, healthier, more fulfilling life
- Some now say "midlife" doesn't begin until 44-50
✨ Simply: "Women in Their 50s" or "Women 40+"
- Descriptive without judgment
- Doesn't carry baggage
- Age-bracket without stereotyping
- We're experienced to know better, whilst still young enough not to care
I have to admit, this one is my prefered term.
But what are women REALLY Saying:
From the research and conversations, several powerful themes emerged:
💪 "I'm not putting up with crap anymore" Perimenopause often marks a psychological shift where women stop tolerating mediocrity in relationships, careers, and life situations.
🔥 "This is about empowerment, not crisis" Women see this phase as finally having the experience, financial secuity, and confidence to pursue what they actually want.
🚀 "I have less tolerance for bullshittery" As one woman put it: "We have plenty of time left in our lives but we don't have time to waste."
🎯 "I'm discovering who I am beyond my roles" No longer just mother/daughter/wife/employee, women are reconnecting with themselves as individuals.
So let me ask you, how do YOU feel when somebody refers to you as A "Midlife" Woman?
Personally I hate it. I might be 54, but inside i'm still 36, living my best life, i'm active, still outgoing and full of energy, but also wiser.
Drop me a REPLY and let me know, yes i'm curious, and let's banish this outdated term to the bin, where it belongs.
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