What if midlife crises are going extinct? According to a recent Newsweek article summarizing data from more than ten million people in the U.S. and U.K., the classic midlife dip in happiness — long considered as inevitable as wrinkles — is starting to flatten. For the first time, younger generations may skip the “midlife crisis” altogether, partly because they’re so unhappy as they enter adulthood.
For decades, economists and psychologists described a U-shaped curve of happiness: a gentle decline from our twenties into our mid-forties, followed by a rebound in our fifties and beyond. The new data suggests something different is happening. Gen Z and younger Millennials are entering adulthood with higher rates of anxiety and depression, but they may not experience the same middle-aged unhappiness their parents did (although we don’t yet have longitudinal studies to see that this is what will happen). But we do know that emotional well-being seems to increase steadily with age for these younger cohorts.
Why? Researchers offer several theories. Younger generations are more open about mental health and more proactive about seeking support. They’re questioning the relentless pursuit of success that left earlier generations overworked and underfulfilled. It’s possible that the effect of Covid, a polarized world, reduced financial prospects, and existential angst are affecting younger adults more than older adults.
If the U-curve of Happiness becomes an inclining line showing that we are unhappy in our adulthood, but exhibiting increasing happiness as we age, might this lead to the extinction of the midlife crisis? Might it diminish ageism because society will start to understand that our ability to emotionally regulate and see the upside of life increases with age so growing older becomes a superpower?
So many of you have asked if MEA will ever have workshops for your kids as so many of our core pieces of curriculum – navigating transitions, cultivating purpose, learning wisdom practices, fostering intergenerational collaboration, building emotional intelligence, feeling belonging with other vulnerable peers, experiencing awe – are all relevant to Millennials and GenZ folks.
You asked for it, you got it. On January 8-11 at our Santa Fe campus, we’ll be offering our first workshop for adults in their 20s through 40s called “Thriving in your 20s, 30s & 40s: Building a Life That Matters.” This is a perfect opportunity for you to offer your adult kids or young friends the chance to experience the MEA magic.
-Chip