Ep. 312 Use This 1 Question to Ease Stress & Anxiety in Midlife—Before and After You Retire

What if one of the most important questions about retirement has less to do with what you'll do next and more to do with how you want to live now? Whether retirement is years away, right in front of you, or already part of your life, changing roles can bring unexpected stress, anxiety and questions about who you are. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why retirement can feel unsettling even when you’re looking forward to the freedom it brings. How your skills, strengths and experience can remain part of your life without productivity having to organize your days. Why making more room for what you want—not only what life requires—can help you cultivate calm before and after retirement. If you’re interested in going deeper, this is also the kind of work we do in my Inner Challenge Master Class. Email me at [email protected] for more information.  Take 11 minutes to discover a different way to think about retirement—and create more calm in the life you’re living now. Send us Fan Mail **** About the Host:  MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, is a seasoned clinician, educator, and host of the podcast Creating Midlife Calm, recognized by Maria Shriver as a “Listen of the Week.” Over the past 40 years, MJ has led more than 50,000 therapy sessions and developed the Inner Challenge mental wellness program and the Inner Challenge Master Class, practical tools for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and resilience taught for more than 30 years in junior high schools and at the University of Notre Dame for freshman football players. Through her podcast, teaching, and coaching, MJ helps people build calmer lives, stronger relationships, and healthier communities. Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.