Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships
MJ Murray Vachon LCSW
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!
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Top 10 Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Ep. 87 Instantly Reduce Household Stress and Create Calm with THIS Surprising Chore-Sharing Game!
Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships
09/23/24 • 17 min
Are household chores turning into a battleground at your home? Discover the fun and effective game that could bring peace to your chore wars!"
In this episode of Creating Midlife Calm, we dive into the common struggle of uneven chore distribution in households. If you're tired of feeling frustrated while doing the lion's share of housework or find yourself constantly nagging about chores, this episode offers a fresh approach to creating balance. By introducing a game-based method, we explore how you can foster a more equitable and cooperative environment at home, leading to less stress and better relationships."
In this episode you will:
1. Learn how to turn chore disagreements into a fun and productive game that encourages participation from all family members.
2. Understand the surprising impact that uneven chore distribution can have on relationships and how to address it.
3. Discover practical strategies for sharing household responsibilities that align with everyone's preferences and abilities, including tips on accountability.
Hit play now to transform chore conflict into chore cooperation and bring harmony back to your household—it's time to say goodbye to the stress of uneven chores!"
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About the Host:
MJ Murray Vachon LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years of experience teaching her Mental Wellness curriculum, Inner Challenge. Four years ago she overcame her fear of technology to create a podcast that integrated her vast clinical experience and practical wisdom of cultivating mental wellness using the latest information from neuroscience. MJ was Social Worker of the Year in 2011 for Region 2/IN.
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
Ep.94 5 Easy Strategies To Stop Nighttime Eating Tonight To Improve Your Sleep & Decrease Your Anxiety!
Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships
10/17/24 • 12 min
Are late-night cravings keeping you from a good night’s sleep and sabotaging your health goals?
If you’ve been struggling with unwanted snacking before bed or find yourself reaching for food after dinner, you’re not alone. Nighttime eating can disrupt your sleep, lead to weight gain, and impact your overall well-being, but it doesn’t have to control you. In this episode, we’ll break down exactly why nighttime cravings happen and how you can overcome them with practical, science-backed strategies.
In this episode you’ll:
1. Discover the science behind the root causes of nighttime eating and how to distinguish between emotional and physical hunger.
2. Learn five easy strategies to help you break the habit and set yourself up for success without feeling deprived.
3. Gain tools to create a food free nighttime routine to help you manage stress and emotions so you can enjoy restful sleep and feel your best.
Tune in now to discover simple, effective ways to stop nighttime eating and reclaim your sleep and health!
Listen to fan favorites:
Ep. 53 Coping Skills to Manage Anxiety & Other Difficult Emotions in Midlife: Naming (Part 1)
Listen to Ep.54 Coping Skills to Manage Anxiety & Other Difficult Emotions in Midlife: Taming & Aiming (Part 2)
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About the Host:
MJ Murray Vachon LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years of experience teaching her Mental Wellness curriculum, Inner Challenge. Four years ago she overcame her fear of technology to create a podcast that integrated her vast clinical experience and practical wisdom of cultivating mental wellness using the latest information from neuroscience. MJ was Social Worker of the Year in 2011 for Region 2/IN.
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
Ep. 132 Eliminate Imposter Syndrome Forever with These 3 Coping Skills
Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships
02/24/25 • 17 min
Have you ever stepped into a new—whether at work, in your community, or in your personal life—only to feel like an imposter?
Don’t let "imposter syndrome" take over and crush this great opportunity.
In this episode you’ll discover:
1. Why the term “imposter syndrome” is outdated and how it may be holding you back.
2. Three proven coping skills to reduce anxiety and step into new roles with confidence.
3. How a simple growth map can transform self-doubt into structured learning and professional success.
Hit play now to learn how to replace imposter syndrome with a mindset that fosters confidence, resilience, and growth in midlife so you can enjoy your new opportunity!
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About the Host:
MJ Murray Vachon LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years of experience teaching her Mental Wellness curriculum, Inner Challenge. Four years ago she overcame her fear of technology to create a podcast that integrated her vast clinical experience and practical wisdom of cultivating mental wellness using the latest information from neuroscience. MJ was Social Worker of the Year in 2011 for Region 2/IN.
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
Ep. 21: Mental Wellness: Anxiety and the Immigration Journey: Practical Coping Skills
Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships
01/22/23 • 18 min
You must listen to this profound story of immigration that builds on the last episode of reaching across the divide. Turn down the current cultural message that can cause you to be suspicious of immigrants and dial up your curiosity as this young man shares his journey of growing up in our country from a mental wellness perspective. Listen and learn and allow your heart to be opened. #takingthemysteryoutofmentalwellness!! #stopfeelinglikecrap!! #UcandoThis!!
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
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About the Host:
MJ Murray Vachon LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years of experience teaching her Mental Wellness curriculum, Inner Challenge. Four years ago she overcame her fear of technology to create a podcast that integrated her vast clinical experience and practical wisdom of cultivating mental wellness using the latest information from neuroscience. MJ was Social Worker of the Year in 2011 for Region 2/IN.
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
Ep. 13: Are You Connected To Your Spirit?
Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships
05/17/22 • 34 min
We often think of Spirit as being the domain of religions or cheerleaders, but in this final episode of Season 1, MJ helps you to ponder the role your Spirit has in Mental Wellness. What lifts your spirit: music, nature, reels of puppies and kittens? What dampens your Spirit: conflict, judgement, bad sleep or no time off? This type of Self-Awareness is so essential to Mental Wellness that MJ literally could not decide if this should be the first or last episode. She still does not know, send her a message if you do. Don't forget the one pager that visualizes this episode:https://mjmurrayvachon.com/one-pagers/. Tune in for Season 2, when MJ invites guests into the Inner Challenge Studio to do unscripted live coaching sessions on Mental Wellness.
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
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About the Host:
MJ Murray Vachon LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years of experience teaching her Mental Wellness curriculum, Inner Challenge. Four years ago she overcame her fear of technology to create a podcast that integrated her vast clinical experience and practical wisdom of cultivating mental wellness using the latest information from neuroscience. MJ was Social Worker of the Year in 2011 for Region 2/IN.
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
Ep. 5: How Do You Train Your Brain and Tend Your Mind?
Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships
05/16/22 • 21 min
One of the biggest shocks for many people is that Mental Wellness is an inside job. So often we feel that if things went our way we would be happy, peaceful and calm. To some degree this is true, but the problem is that lovely state is fleeing and before we know it we're back to worrying or annoyed by the next thing our mind focuses on. This episode will help you understand the relationship between our brain and mind and how a little training and tending goes a long way in cultivating a mental state that can remain peaceful, calm and happy in the good times as well as the not so good times. Go to https://mjmurrayvachon.com/one-pagers/ for a great one pager summarizing this episode.
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
****
About the Host:
MJ Murray Vachon LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years of experience teaching her Mental Wellness curriculum, Inner Challenge. Four years ago she overcame her fear of technology to create a podcast that integrated her vast clinical experience and practical wisdom of cultivating mental wellness using the latest information from neuroscience. MJ was Social Worker of the Year in 2011 for Region 2/IN.
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
Ep. 3: Who Am I? Part 1
Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships
05/16/22 • 27 min
From the beginning of time humans have been on the journey of answering the question Who Am I? As we reflect on mental wellness and self-growth we often hear the word authenticity. How does one become authentic? There is no "right way" to become authentically YOU. Who you are is a dynamic process that unfolds over a lifetime. When we view our life as a story we naturally start with our growth and development from infancy onward. Join MJ as she encourages you to look at this question using the lens of Dr. Erik Erikson Ph.D and his psychosocial model of growth. Using the tools of self-observation, insight and reflection we look back in order to move forward with more clarity, understanding and compassion which leads to authenticity. In this two-part podcast MJ will look at the first 12 years of life. As you listen, you will naturally find yourself remembering these years and how they influence your answer to the question, Who Am I? Go to https://mjmurrayvachon.com/one-pagers/ for a great one pager summarizing this episode.
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
****
About the Host:
MJ Murray Vachon LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years of experience teaching her Mental Wellness curriculum, Inner Challenge. Four years ago she overcame her fear of technology to create a podcast that integrated her vast clinical experience and practical wisdom of cultivating mental wellness using the latest information from neuroscience. MJ was Social Worker of the Year in 2011 for Region 2/IN.
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
Ep. 70 Mental Wellness: Quick & Easy Coping Skills for Parenting an Anxious Child!
Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships
05/11/24 • 45 min
Join MJ and her guest, a mother of two, as they delve into the challenges of parenting amidst anxiety, emphasizing the development of emotional intelligence. The differing experiences of anxiety in this mother's two children illustrate the diverse emotional landscapes parents must traverse. MJ shares her model of emotional regulation, which encourages using an Internal Mindset to Tend and Befriend our emotional reactions. This practical strategy is easy to comprehend for both children and parents. The episode also draws on the genius of Elaine Aron and Dr. Becky Kennedy’s work, which focuses on Highly Sensitive People (HSP) and Deeply Feeling Kids (DFK). You'll love this conversation, which focuses on real-life dilemmas such as coping with technology-induced frustration and school-related anxiety, offering insights into identifying, regulating, and directing emotions towards constructive outcomes, fostering mental wellness within families. The episode culminates in emphasizing the pivotal role of emotional intelligence in parenting, presenting a holistic approach to nurturing resilience and empathy in the face of life's challenges. Check out the links for great resources!
Tend & Befriend Visual One Pager: https://mjmurrayvachon.com/podcast-7/
Elaine Aron: https://hsperson.com/
Dr, Becky Kennedy: https://www.goodinside.com/about/
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
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About the Host:
MJ Murray Vachon LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years of experience teaching her Mental Wellness curriculum, Inner Challenge. Four years ago she overcame her fear of technology to create a podcast that integrated her vast clinical experience and practical wisdom of cultivating mental wellness using the latest information from neuroscience. MJ was Social Worker of the Year in 2011 for Region 2/IN.
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
Ep. 86 Understanding the 4 Causes of Overthinking To Reduce Your Anxiety & Increase Calm
Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships
09/19/24 • 9 min
Ep. 86 Understanding the 4 Causes of Overthinking To Reduce Your Anxiety & Increase Calm
Do you find yourself trapped in overthinking, draining your energy, disrupting your mental clarity, and leaving you anxious?
Overthinking affects many of us, especially when faced with stress or uncertainty. In this episode, MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, explains the four main causes of overthinking and how understanding these triggers can help reduce anxiety and increase your sense of calm.
In this episode you will learn the 4 Main Causes of Overthinking:
1. Fear of the Future: Overthinking often stems from anxiety about uncertain outcomes, like job security or health concerns.
2.Perfectionism:High expectations and fear of failure can fuel excessive rumination, depriving you of joy and calm.
3.Past Regrets: Unresolved disappointment and self-blame can lead to dwelling on what could have been.
4.Too Many Choices: Being overwhelmed by everyday decisions can cause mental fatigue and indecision.
MJ shares actionable insights on how to address these underlying causes by tending to your emotions and calming your mind, helping you break free from the cycle of overthinking.
Tune in to learn how to recognize the causes of overthinking and apply these strategies to bring more peace and focus into your life.
Listen to Ep.85 5 Easy & Effective Steps to Stop Overthinking, Now! or
check out attached one pager on what our mind looks! https://mjmurrayvachon.com/podcast-1/ or listen to Ep. 1 What is Mental Wellness?
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About the Host:
MJ Murray Vachon LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years of experience teaching her Mental Wellness curriculum, Inner Challenge. Four years ago she overcame her fear of technology to create a podcast that integrated her vast clinical experience and practical wisdom of cultivating mental wellness using the latest information from neuroscience. MJ was Social Worker of the Year in 2011 for Region 2/IN.
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
Ep. 146 How Loneliness Is Quietly Draining Your Happiness & 4 Coping Skills to Rebuild Connection in Midlife
Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships
04/07/25 • 14 min
Loneliness in midlife often creeps in unnoticed.
You go through the motions—work, family, responsibilities—but something feels off.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- Why midlife loneliness is so common and why it often goes unrecognized.
- Four powerful strategies to build deeper, more fulfilling connections.
- How small, intentional actions can help you feel seen, heard, and truly connected again.
Loneliness isn’t inevitable—you have the power to change it. Press play now to start turning up the dimmer switch on connection in your life.
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About the Host:
MJ Murray Vachon LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years of experience teaching her Mental Wellness curriculum, Inner Challenge. Four years ago she overcame her fear of technology to create a podcast that integrated her vast clinical experience and practical wisdom of cultivating mental wellness using the latest information from neuroscience. MJ was Social Worker of the Year in 2011 for Region 2/IN.
Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships have?
Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships currently has 150 episodes available.
What topics does Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships cover?
The podcast is about Health & Fitness, Self Care, Personal Growth, Parenting, Anxiety, Midlife, Mental Health, Emotional Healing, Podcasts and Mindfulness.
What is the most popular episode on Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships?
The episode title 'Ep. 27: Procrastination!!' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships?
The average episode length on Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships is 23 minutes.
How often are episodes of Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships released?
Episodes of Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships are typically released every 4 days, 1 hour.
When was the first episode of Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships?
The first episode of Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships was released on May 2, 2022.
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