During midlife crisis, your foundation is shaken. You see yourself growing older and realize that your days are numbered. What you thought was true may be called into question. You suffer losses and setbacks, and you begin to ask big questions: “Why is this happening to me?” “Why do I seem to want to go in two directions at the same time?” “Where am I going?” and “Who am I?” These are spiritual questions, and I believe the midlife transition is, at least in part, a spiritual journey. Here are six spiritual practices that can bring you peace while also moving you down the midlife path.

1) Be present - In your midlife transition, you don’t know what’s going to happen or what you should do next, and these unknowns can cause anxiety. You can reduce your anxiety through meditation, prayer, and mindfulness. To be mindful, just pay close attention to whatever’s in front of you. I know it’s easier said than done. Being present is a big challenge for me.

2) Surrender to mystery – Midlife is a time when you’re acutely aware that you can’t control life, that you know less than you thought you did, and that your life won’t go on forever. Wanting to know, wanting to control, wanting things to be different than they are, all lead to disappointment and anxiety. Your task is to let go of the illusion of control and wanting things to be different. Practice loving the reality of your life, and become curious about what’s emerging. Surrender to the unknown, and to what is greater than yourself. Learn to trust – and by that I don’t mean to trust that everything will go your way. Instead, trust that even if everything goes wrong, you’re still going to be okay.

3) See beauty everywhere – You may be depressed, or bad things may be happening to you. This can lead to negative thinking, which can make you miserable. While certainly bad things happen, it’s also true that flowers are blooming and babies are being born. And even the things we think are ugly may serve a sacred purpose if we look deeper. The world is an amazing place, with miracles everywhere, if we would only see them. Don’t just appreciate. Open to awe. Practice seeing the divine in everything and everyone. Make a practice of seeing beauty all around you.

4) See purpose in your suffering – It obviously feels bad to suffer, and if something truly bad has happened to you, then you have my sympathy and compassion. The Buddhist master Thich Naht Hanh says that he would not want to live in a world without suffering. Suffering teaches compassion for others, and it helps you learn and grow. I’m not saying to put on a happy face. If you’ve suffered a loss, you must grieve it fully. But, if you are stuck in lamenting and complaining, this will keep you miserable. Think about a setback you had twenty years ago, and notice what gifts came from it. To grow in life and find satisfaction, it helps to find purpose in what happens to you. One of the reasons we’re on Earth is to learn big life lessons, and that means that what we struggle with the most in life, also fulfills our life lessons purpose.

5) Listen for deep wisdom – You can easily get stuck trying to figure things out logically. Logic, and even our feelings, are limited in how far they can take us. I suggest accessing a deeper wisdom. You might call this deep wisdom your intuition, the unconscious, the universe, or God. This wisdom can speak to us in dreams, nature, prayer, art, stories, and in asking spirit guides to come to us. These messages often need interpretation, but if you’re willing to listen and explore these messages, these voices from beyond can tell you what’s really going on and what needs to happen.

6) Perform rituals – The midlife crisis is a transition from the first half of your life to the second. Rituals ease transitions and can create shifts within you and in your world. These can be small rituals like lighting a candle and setting an intention for your day, or it can be a big ritual like letting go of a job or a relationship that no longer fits.

To review: Be present, surrender to mystery, see beauty everywhere, see purpose in your suffering, listen for deep wisdom, and perform rituals. So now two questions for you to ponder: Of what I’ve said here, what strikes you as powerful or important? What practices do you want on your midlife journey?

Author's Bio: 

Steve Hingle is The Men’s Midlife Crisis Coach, helping men create a life of connection, fun, purpose, and authenticity. He’s an ICF Certified Coach and a Certified Positive Psychology Coach, and has facilitated numerous workshops, retreats, and other personal growth work. Visit him at http://MidlifeCrisisCoaching.com.