MIDLIFE: Your second adolescence, your time to flourish
What happens in Midlife
Global research shows that between ages 40 and 60, many women experience what psychologists call a second adolescence: a time of shifting identity, values, and relationships.
- A 2018 study found that over 60% of midlife women want to make significant changes in work or lifestyle.
- In the Middle East, a 2020 Bayt.com survey revealed that 74% of women consider professional development their top priority during mid-career, even as they navigate complex family and social expectations.
- More women in the region are stepping into second careers, launching businesses, or pursuing advanced education later in life.
These aspirations are powerful—and sometimes overwhelming.
The pressure to meet external expectations while honouring your own dreams can lead to confusion, guilt, or self-doubt.
In my case, I felt underserved by traditional coaching models, as they focus only on performance without addressing the deeper questions of meaning, identity, and purpose that I needed to address.
The Second Adolescence
Midlife is often described as a crisis. In reality, psychologists have found that between ages 40 and 60, many of us enter what they call a second adolescence — a season when our identity, values, and relationships begin to shift once again.
Just like our teenage years, this stage is filled with questions, transitions, and reinvention. But this time, we carry the wisdom and experience of adulthood.
A mirror of our first adolescence
In adolescence, we built our first identity. In the second adolescence, we get to redefine or reclaim it.
Then: Who am I becoming?
Now: Who am I, beyond my roles?
Then: moving from childhood into adulthood.
Now: moving from parent, caregiver, or career-builder into a freer identity.
Then: driven by peers, parents, and school.
Now: shaped by society, family, and career expectations.
The opportunities of Second Adolescence
Redefinition of purpose – not “What do I do?” but “What do I stand for?”
Reconnection with self – after years of prioritizing others, turning inward.
New freedom – fewer obligations, more choice about time and energy.
Legacy – shaping what you leave behind for family, work, or community.
Why Coaching fits here
Just as teenagers need space, guidance, and encouragement to discover who they are becoming, adults in midlife need the same.
Coaching creates a safe container to pause, reflect, and explore:
- to ask the big questions,
- to experiment with new possibilities,
- and to design a life that feels true to you.
Whether you’re rethinking your career, adjusting to an empty nest, recovering from burnout, or simply sensing that something needs to change, midlife stirs powerful questions: Who am I becoming? What do I want my life to stand for? How can I honor my ambitions, responsibilities, and wellbeing all at once?
These questions deserve space and thoughtful exploration.
Flourishing in Midlife
The second adolescence is not just about navigating change — it’s about discovering what it means to thrive on the other side of transition.
This is where the idea of flourishing comes in. Flourishing means more than simply coping; it’s about living fully across every dimension of life: your health, your relationships, your sense of purpose, your security, and your joy.
Coaching at midlife is about turning the uncertainty of transition into the possibility of flourishing — helping you not just redefine who you are, but also create a life that feels aligned, meaningful, and whole and where new possibilities can open. This framework helps transform change into growth, and disruption into renewal.
Flourishing is more than surviving change — it’s about living fully and authentically across every part of your life.
Research from the Global Flourishing Study shows that wellbeing is not limited to happiness or success alone. True flourishing touches six key domains: our health, our relationships, our sense of purpose, our integrity, our stability, and our daily joy.
In midlife, each transition you experience — whether it’s career change, caregiving, an empty nest, or shifting health — connects back to one of these domains. When we work together, we use these six dimensions as a framework to help you reflect, realign, and grow into the fullest version of yourself.
Flourishing isn’t about striving harder. It’s about creating balance, meaning, and freedom in a way that feels true to who you are now.
The Six domains of Flourishing
The Six Domains of Flourishing offer a research-backed framework for understanding wellbeing in midlife. Unlike a simple list of challenges, this structure creates a whole and balanced view of the areas of life most affected by transition and where new possibilities can open. This framework helps transform change into growth, and disruption into renewal.
(The six Domains of flourishing were first introduced as part of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, led by Dr. Tyler J. VanderWeele.)
Happiness & Life Satisfaction
Empty Nest
When children leave home and daily rhythms shift, life can feel quieter — and sometimes emptier. The routines that once shaped your joy may fade, leaving space for new questions:
- What will bring me fulfillment now that my role as a daily parent is changing?
- How do I rediscover joy in this new season of life?
Mental & Physical Health
Menopause, shifting energy, and new health concerns can feel like losing a familiar part of yourself. Even your own body may feel different:
- How do I care for my body and mind with compassion, instead of frustration?
- What new habits or rhythms will help me sustain my wellbeing now?
Meaning & Purpose
Retirement, redundancy, or career changes can shake the identity you’ve built for decades. When titles and routines fall away, deeper questions emerge:
- Beyond my job, what gives my life meaning?
- What do I want my next chapter to stand for?
Character and Integrity
Caring for both aging parents and teenagers at once can feel like being pulled in every direction. This transition tests patience, compassion, and values:
- How do I honor my responsibilities without losing myself?
- What boundaries or supports would help me stay true to who I am?
Close Social Relationships
Financial & Material Stability
Relocation — to a new city or country — disrupts community and belonging. It can stir loneliness, but also invite new connection:
- How do I build meaningful relationships in a new place?
- What does belonging mean to me now?
Financial & Material Stability
Financial & Material Stability
Career changes / Retirement planning: security, freedom.
Reflective question: “Do I feel secure enough to create the future I want?”