Ep. 146 How Loneliness Is Quietly Draining Your Happiness & 4 Coping Skills to Rebuild Connection in Midlife
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.
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.
****
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.
Previous Episode
Ep. 145 Tried & Tested Transformative Coping Skills for Midlife Anxiety & How They REALLY Work
Are you secretly scared to feel your feelings—especially in the middle of setting boundaries?
Setting boundaries is essential, especially if you want to get your wants & needs to be heard.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How a guest pushes back on MJ's 5 science-backed coping skills--making them even more usable.
- Real talk on emotional stamina—why feeling your feelings actually builds strength.
- A relatable metaphor (hello, emotional rollercoaster!) to help you move through discomfort with clarity and intention.
Listen now and start building coping skills that actually work for midlife anxiety—no perfection required.
****
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.
Next Episode
Ep. 147 How Midlife Anxiety Is Driving Your Isolation & Loneliness & 2 Powerful Ways to Reconnect
Is your anxiety quietly fueling a sense of loneliness you can't quite name?
You may be crushing your to-do list but still feeling emotionally isolated or unseen, you’re not alone.
In this episode you’ll discover:
- How anxiety masks itself as busyness, numbing, and overthinking in midlife
- Why avoiding connection increases loneliness—and how to gently reverse it
- Two powerful (and doable) coping skills to build real, nourishing relationships
If you're ready to turn up the light in your own life, this episode is your next step. Tune in now.
****
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.
Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships - Ep. 146 How Loneliness Is Quietly Draining Your Happiness & 4 Coping Skills to Rebuild Connection in Midlife
Transcript
In this episode, you'll discover how loneliness might be the hidden reason behind your stress, boredom, or lack of joy.
MJ Murray Vachon LCSW (2)welcome to Creating Midlife Calm, a podcast dedicated to empowering midlife minds to overcome anxiety, stop feeling like crap and become more present with your family, all while achieving greater success at work. I'm MJ Murray Vachon, a license
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