Managing Your Midlife Man
4 Steps to Surviving Manopause
Hi everybody, it’s Amy!
Let me tell you, this month’s e-book really hits home.
We’ve all heard of menopause and know what that entails: night sweats, mood swings, body changes, and all around grumpiness.
But what happens when your man experiences something similar? Whether you call it manopause, a midlife crisis, male menopause, andropause, or male climacteric, it’s all the same thing.
Men have hormone fluctuations, loss of muscle mass, lowered sex drive, memory issues, stamina and more. Sound familiar? As women, most of us can relate. Well … we could relate if he would ever talk to us about it.
As the major breadwinner for the family (usually) and the stoic protector of you and your children, there are pressures on men that women just don’t have. Men don’t like being vulnerable, considered weak, or suffering a loss of power.
Women have their own issues to deal with, but men REALLY don’t like talking about theirs. Also, women know what to expect with menopause but men don’t.
In Managing Your Midlife Man, I provide four steps to help you better deal with your man’s midlife issues.
- Embrace the change.
When it comes to life, everyone changes over time. We grow and learn new things and evolve as human beings (we hope). In a relationship you expect that both of you change in similar ways and still agree on the things that are important to you. When children grow up and move away, there’s a lot of time for both parents to sit and look at each other and wonder where do we go from here? None of us wants to waste our later years.
Reevaluate your life’s path now that you are free to do so and embrace the fact that your relationship and you are changing. You can either let change happen or you can guide it.
2. See the situation from his point of view.
Let’s be honest. There’s a bro code and being weak or even slightly vulnerable is a big no-no. Show no fear! But what does a man do when he has always done “the right thing” and suddenly whether through “empty nest” or retirement the blinders come off and he starts to wonder what he has missed out on in life. He must keep proving his worth. If he starts to act like a raging 2-year old remember it’s not you, it’s him. Empathy can go a long way, but you don’t have to be a doormat.
3. Stretch your wings along with him.
That’s right. You can pursue the things you feel like you are missing out on, too. You know you can’t fix him he has to fix himself. What he does need from you though is trust and respect. The good man you married is in there somewhere. Cheer him on but be willing to go out on your own adventures, too. Shake it up. You can take some “me” time as well.
4. Reinvent your relationship.
Couples often fail because they want their relationship to be what it used to be. However, just as each person changes, so does the relationship. If you can’t have your old relationship back then what kind of relationship do you both want? Talk about it and find some common ground knowing there’s something better out there for the both of you.
If you are aware that these changes will be heading your way, you can be proactive about them. If you’re having issues right now, get this book and read it!
Here are a few things you can work on right now even if you don’t get his buy-in:
- Your power lies in what you can do for yourself – not him.
- If he becomes argumentative, you can change your response and not waste time reacting to his tantrums.
- The situation is not about power or control – it’s about self-care. Talk with friends and family when you feel like you’re losing it.
- Pursue your own path.
- Realize change is inevitable and is nothing to fear. You got this!
My new book Managing Your Midlife Man, 4 Steps to Surviving Manopause will help you save your sanity and hopefully your marriage, too. When you know what to expect from manopause you will be better able to deal with it.
Sounds good, right?
Then click the button below to gain access to Managing Your Midlife Man, 4 Steps to Surviving Manopause right now!
