Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships
Forget the midlife crisis—how about creating midlife calm? The stress and anxiety of this life stage can be overwhelming, draining your energy, and making it hard to enjoy what should be the best years of your life. This podcast is your guide to easing midlife anxiety and discovering a deeper sense of calm.
Discover how to:
- Be happier, more present, and more effective at home and work.
- Transform stress and anxiety into powerful tools that ignite your inner energy, helping you gain clarity and confidently meet your needs.
- Cultivate calm and enjoyment by creating a positive internal mindset using practical, affordable coping skills to handle life's challenges.
Join MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, a seasoned therapist with over 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years’ experience as a mental wellness educator as she guides you on a journey to reclaim your inner peace. Learn how to find contentment in the present moment, empowering you to handle the pressures of midlife with a confidence clarity that leads to calm.
Every Monday, MJ delves into the unique challenges of midlife, offering insights and concluding each episode with an "Inner Challenge"—simple, science-backed techniques designed to shift you from feeling overwhelmed to centered. Tune in every Thursday for a brief 5-10 minute "Inner Challenge Tune-Up," where MJ offers easy-to-follow tips to integrate these practices into your daily life.
Let’s evolve from crisis to calm and embrace the incredible journey of midlife. Tired of feeling overwhelmed? Tune into fan-favorite Ep. 63 for a boost! Let anxiety go and embrace your calm!
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 21 minutes
- Episodes
- 191
- Years Active
- 2022 - 2025
Ep. 191 Empty Nest Messy Middle — Coping Skills to Support Your Kids and Reduce Midlife Anxiety and Stress
Do you feel like your nest is empty… but your kids still need you just as much?
You’re not alone — this “in-between” stage is one of the most emotionally confusing seasons of midlife.
In this episode, …
Ep. 190: Why the Empty Nest Triggers Unexpected Anxiety and Stress in Midlife- and How to Move Through It With Ease
Does your “empty nest” still feel full of emotions, memories, and a surprising amount of daily connection?
You’re not alone if this shift feels more complicated than you imagined.
In this episode, yo…
Ep. 189: How To Immediately Reduce Your Midlife Stress & Anxiety With These Easy & Fundamental Coping Skills
Ever feel like your mind is spiraling but your body can’t catch up?
You’re not alone—midlife anxiety and stress often demand more than just logic or positive thinking.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- …
EMERGENCY EPISODE: From Shock to Steady Ground — Coping Skills to Calm Anxiety & Stress After a School Shooting
How do you begin to feel safe and steady again after experiencing a shooting?
You don’t have to have all the answers, and you don’t have to go through this alone.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- The m…
Ep. 188 2 Proven Coping Skills to Interrupt Midlife Anxiety Before It Spirals
Is your anxiety hijacking your mind before you even notice it?
You’re not alone—and you don’t have to stay stuck in the cycle.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. How to identify your unique anxie…
Ep. 187 How This Simple 60-Second Coping Skill Eased One Listener’s Midlife Stress & How It'll Reduce Yours Too
Can imagining success actually reduce stress in midlife—or is that just wishful thinking?
You’re not the only one who doubts simple coping skills when stress feels overwhelming.
In this episode, you’l…
Ep. 186: Turn Stress Into Action & Get More Done Using This Secret Hack For Midlife Anxiety
Is midlife stress making even simple tasks feel overwhelming?
There’s a powerful, brain-based coping skill that can help you stop avoiding and start doing—with more calm and clarity.
In this episode, …
Ep. 185 The Incredible Way AI Can Help You Reduce Stress & Anxiety & Build Coping Skills In Midlife — Even If You’ve Never Used It Before
Feeling anxious and overwhelmed—what if AI could actually help?
AI isn’t just for techies or task lists, it can support your emotional regulation too.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How to pair ChatG…
Ep. 184 EMERGENCY EPISODE: From Shock to Steady Ground — Coping Skills to Calm Anxiety & Stress After a Shooting
How do you begin to feel safe and steady again after experiencing a shooting?
You don’t have to have all the answers, and you don’t have to go through this alone.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- The m…
Ep. 183 How Daily Chores in Midlife Fuel Stress & Anxiety & the Free Coping Skill That Helps
Are daily chores leaving you overwhelmed and anxious in midlife?
There’s a free tool that can feel like a coping skill when life starts to pile up.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How to use one simpl…
Ep. 182 Create a Peaceful Morning Routine to Decrease Midlife Stress and Anxiety & Reduce Family Chaos With THESE Proven Coping Skills
Are your mornings setting the tone for anxiety—or for calm?
Peaceful mornings aren’t a personality trait—they’re a midlife leadership skill you can learn and teach.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1.…
Ep. 181 – 3 Midlife Coping Skills to Manage Back-to-School Stress & Anxiety Without Passing It On to Your Family
Are you dreading the back-to-school transition—and noticing it’s affecting your whole household?
Back-to-school doesn’t have to mean breakdowns. You can lead with calm instead of chaos.
In this epis…
Ep. 180 – How to Match the Right Coping Skill to Stress vs. Anxiety in Midlife So You Feel Better Now
Are you using the wrong coping skill for what you’re actually feeling?
Stress and anxiety may look similar on the outside—but they need very different responses to truly feel better.
In this episode, …
Ep. 179 Is It Anxiety or Stress? The First Step to Choosing the Right Coping Skills in Midlife
Are you using the wrong coping skill for what you’re actually feeling?
Understanding the difference between stress and anxiety can help you respond more effectively and feel calmer faster.
In this epis…
Ep. 178 Two science-backed coping skills that calm stress & anxiety fast in Midlife
Are your quick-fix habits like snacking, scrolling, or venting actually increasing your anxiety?
Most midlife coping habits bring temporary comfort—but they can sabotage your long-term calm.
In this e…
Ep. 177 The 3 Midlife Anxiety Coping Skills That Backfire & Make Your Anxiety & Stress WORSE, and What To Do Instead
Why do the most common anxiety fixes leave you feeling even worse?
Because they offer quick relief—but actually reinforce the anxiety cycle, especially in midlife.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- The …
Ep.176 How to Ease Stress & Anxiety When You’ve Stepped Away from A Midlife Relationship
Are you stuck in the heartbreak of midlife estrangement and unsure how to move forward?
Estrangement hurts, but it doesn’t have to define your future.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. How to mind…
Ep.175 How to Manage Midlife Relational Estrangement with Coping Skills for Anxiety, Heartbreak and Healing
Are you stuck in the heartbreak of midlife breakdown or estrangement and unsure how to move forward?
When relationships end it hurts, but it doesn’t have to define your future.
In this episode, you’l…
Ep. 174 Why Sensitivity Isn’t Your Problem—It’s Your Superpower (If You Learn to Use It)
Do you ever feel so overstimulated in public that your mind blanks out—even during important moments?
This kind of emotional and sensory intensity is a normal part of being a highly sensitive person.
I…
Ep. 173 Why Understanding Your High Sensitivity Is Essential To Reduce Stress, Anxiety & Overwhelm In Midlife
Do you walk into a room and immediately feel what others are feeling—even when no one says a word?
You’re not imagining it—and you’re definitely not alone.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
1. How un…