From the Glukoze blog

Midlife collision” is a complex and stressful period often experienced by women of what has become known as the Sandwich generation.

The “sandwich generation” refers to adults, often in their forties or fifties, who find themselves simultaneously caring for children who are still at home or financially dependent, and elderly parents in need of care or support.
This generation is thus “sandwiched” between their obligations to their children and their parents, hence the term “sandwich”.

The challenges facing the sandwich generation include :

1. Financial pressures: Taking on the financial responsibility of caring for elderly parents while supporting children, sometimes even financing their higher education, can create considerable financial strain.
2. Emotional and physical stress: Managing the needs of two generations can be emotionally and physically draining, increasing stress and sometimes leading to exhaustion.
3. Career impact: Family responsibilities can limit career opportunities or require a reduction in working hours, affecting income and career progression.
4. Retirement planning: The ability to save for one’s own retirement may be compromised, jeopardizing future financial security.
5. Work/Life Balance: Finding a balance between work, family care and personal time can be particularly challenging, impacting overall well-being.

This mid-life collision is not a “mid-life crisis” usually associated with men facing identity and existential challenges.
This crisis is characterized by impulsive behavior or drastic life changes.

The mid-life collision is not about questioning, but refers to a superposition of challenges and responsibilities that arrive more or less at the same time.

These challenges include: looking after or leaving children, caring for elderly parents, personal health problems such as menopause, as well as professional responsibilities.
This period is marked by increased stress due to the accumulation of roles and responsibilities, often referred to as “role overload”.

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Role overload is a term used in psychology and human resources management to describe a situation where a person feels overwhelmed because they have too many roles or responsibilities to manage simultaneously.
This concept is particularly relevant in the context of work, family and other social obligations.

When a person faces role overload, he or she may experience stress, anxiety and exhaustion, as it is difficult to respond effectively to the demands of each role.
For example, a person may be a parent, an employee, a spouse and a caregiver at the same time, each of these roles demanding time, energy and resources.

Role overload can lead to a work-life imbalance, adversely affecting a person’s mental and physical health.
It can also reduce productivity and job satisfaction, as well as the quality of family and social relationships.
Managing this overload often involves finding strategies for prioritizing tasks, delegating responsibilities and establishing healthy boundaries between different aspects of life.

Women can find themselves juggling careers, family responsibilities and their own health problems, all with physical, mental and emotional repercussions.
In short, it’s when life catches up with you.

Key points to remember

• Mid-life collision marks a shorter or longer period of transition caused by the superposition of events.
• It’s not a mid-life crisis where you just think you have to turn challenges into opportunities for growth.
• Professional support and shared experience are essential to overcoming mid-life collision.
• It’s important to look to the future with optimism, and remember your life goals so you don’t lose sight of them during this period.

This maturity conflict or mid-life shock is characterized by a series of stressful and traumatic events, such as menopause, the death of loved ones, anxiety or divorce, which may occur simultaneously or successively.

This accumulation of stress can be overwhelming, sometimes leading to difficult decisions such as reducing working hours or abandoning previously fulfilling careers.

These challenges, although temporary, are often underestimated by companies, who fail to sufficiently recognize the temporary nature of these trials and how they affect women in mid-career.
This is a period that requires understanding, support and flexibility on the part of employers to help these women navigate through these challenges without having to abandon their careers.

But what is not discussed, or acknowledged by many companies, is the temporality of the events women face in mid-life.
It’s far more radical than it sounds.
After the storm comes the calm.

In other words, for the mature woman, after the storm comes the revolution.
I mean revolution in the broadest sense of the word – a turnaround, a change, a renewal, a rethinking, a freshness.
And not only that, but a motivation to live with energy, meaning and purpose.

So, faced with the mid-life collision, the challenge for any leader is threefold.
How do you recognize the signs of a potential collision, how do you have a good conversation about it and, best of all, how do you prevent a definitive exit?
All within the framework of your corporate practices employee assistance.

There’s no better solution here than to initiate a series of regular discussions, and ensure that your conversations with your collaborators go beyond the immediate task at hand.
Watch for signs of stress and requests for time off, while keeping in mind that one of the first signs of burnout is not asking for help!

Look at how your company contributes to this collision: assembly-line meetings, abundant silo mentality and a focus on the urgent.

It’s not a conversation you can start cold.
It can, however, simply begin with a very sincere, “How are you?” This is precisely the kind of conversation that helped us all during the pandemic.

You can also begin your discussion with; “I’m noticing this behavior and I’m concerned for you” or “What will alleviate this situation from a professional standpoint?” or “How is this impacting you right now, and how can we support you more effectively?”

With the McKinsey & Co. 2022 report “Women in the Workplace“report showed that for every manager promoted, two left their positions.

So what would your company look like if flexibility were built into this mid-life period to enable women to stay in or return to their jobs.

Or better still, to move into new, more important roles that merit their talent, resilience and expertise.

In short: don’t wait until the exit interview to find out what was going on in someone’s life.