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For decades, midlife has been reduced to a punchline: the crisis, the panic, the sudden urge to blow up your life and buy a sports car. But it’s clear we’ve been telling the wrong story?
A recent Guardian interview with psychologist Margie Lachman offers a much more optimistic — and research-backed — view. After more than 30 years studying midlife through the long-running MIDUS study, Lachman argues that the years between 40 and 60 are not inevitably marked by decline or regret. Instead, they can be a period of growth, purpose and renewed possibility.
That doesn’t mean midlife is easy. For many women, these are the years when everyone seems to need something from you: children, parents, partners, colleagues, friends. But maybe that’s also part of the point. By midlife, we’ve lived enough to know what matters, what doesn’t and what we’re no longer willing to carry.
Lachman’s research suggests life satisfaction often stays steady through our middle-age years — and may even rise. Which feels like the reminder we all need: Midlife isn’t the beginning of the end. It may be where the most interesting part begins. |
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Judy Greer Embraces Her Most Interesting Chapter YetJudy Greer has spent decades becoming one of Hollywood’s most familiar and beloved faces, bringing humor, heart and depth to roles across film and television. From 13 Going on 30 to The Last Thing He Told Me, Greer has built a career on playing characters who feel instantly recognizable — funny, flawed, vulnerable and deeply human.
Now, as she moves through midlife, Greer says the work is only getting more interesting. Flow Space recently caught up with the actress to talk about aging alongside her characters, the evolution of opportunities for women in Hollywood and why humor remains one of her most essential tools. |
Over the course of your career, you’ve played a wide range of characters across film and television. What continues to inspire you creatively after so many years in the industry?I’m inspired by the way the characters I get to play are aging with me. As I get older, I get to delve into roles where the stakes are higher and higher — and that makes the characters so much more interesting.
Hollywood conversations about aging have started to shift in recent years. How have you seen opportunities evolve for women over time?
I think opportunities for women have evolved because we’re talking about it and focusing on it more. But at the same time, I think focusing so much on “female-driven” anything can be a little yin and yang.
Of course, you want to elevate female voices. But shouldn’t women also just be mixed in? Does it always have to be “female filmmakers”? Can’t they just be filmmakers? Things like that.
Your work often blends humor with vulnerability. How important is humor in navigating life’s challenges?Everything is about humor. When in doubt, go for the joke. Being funny and finding the humor in life is what saves my life.
How do you find flow, which is that state of being fully present and immersed, in your life?
Flow is difficult for me. I have a lot of tension, and my brain is constantly going, so it’s tricky. |
Your Brain on Menopause For so long, menopause has been talked about almost entirely as a reproductive milestone — the end of a cycle, the close of fertility, a hormonal shift happening somewhere “below the neck.” But the more researchers learn, the clearer it becomes that menopause is also very much a brain transition, one that can affect sleep, mood, memory, focus and even the way we experience ourselves day to day.
That reframing can feel validating for anyone who has ever lost a word mid-sentence, walked into a room and forgotten why, or found themselves wide awake at 3 a.m. with their mind racing. Estrogen plays a real role in how the brain uses energy, regulates mood, supports sleep and manages memory — so when levels fluctuate and decline, the brain has to recalibrate. Those changes can feel unsettling, but they are not proof that the brain is failing.
In fact, one of the most important things to understand about the brain is that it is constantly learning, predicting and protecting the patterns it already knows. That can make change feel particularly hard, especially during a life stage that already asks so much of the body and mind. But it also means the brain is not fixed. Through neuroplasticity, it can build new pathways over time — which is why sleep, movement, stress support, visualization, mindfulness, social connection and learning new things are not just “wellness” buzzwords. They are ways of working with the brain’s natural ability to adapt.
Of course, this conversation becomes even more urgent when we talk about long-term brain health. Women make up nearly two-thirds of Alzheimer’s cases, and while longevity plays a role, researchers are looking more closely at how menopause, estrogen and brain aging may be connected. That does not mean menopause causes dementia, or that hormone therapy is a simple answer. But it does mean women deserve a better, more nuanced conversation about what is happening in their brains during midlife — one rooted not in fear, but in curiosity, support and the possibility of change. |
READING Walk , the national bestseller from foot and gait experts Dr. Courtney Conley and Dr. Milica McDowell that makes the case for walking as a key pillar of health and longevity. With insights on foot strength, walking speed and why 10,000 steps may not be the magic number, it gives our daily strolls a serious upgrade.
DOING A DOUBLE TAKE at Midjourney’s leap from AI-generated images to medical imaging. Its new division, Midjourney Medical, is developing “Ultrasonic CT,” a full-body ultrasound scan designed to capture MRI-like images in as little as 60 seconds—using sound, water and no radiation.
COMMENDING the nonprofit Association of Migraine Disorders for bringing more visibility to migraine disease, which is three times more common in women than men. Its Shades for Migraine campaign uses sunglasses as a simple nod to the light sensitivity many people experience during migraine attacks. SCHEDULING an admin date with friends to finally tackle the life tasks we keep putting off, from overdue emails to appointment booking. Turning our personal to-do lists into low-pressure social time can make the mental load feel a little lighter—and maybe even fun.. |
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