What are the crisis periods in a person's life, the reasons for their appearance at different ages, signs and ways of overcoming. Crisis periods in life are a normal, physiological process, which is caused by a change in life values and attitudes. These mandatory stages of personality development occur in most people, but they proceed differently for everyone. If a person is ready to change and develop, then there should be no problems with the psychological state, but often crises entail the development of various phobias, complexes, and depressions. Often people drive themselves into a state from which only a psychologist can help to get out.
The concept and theses of the crisis period in human life
A crisis is always an important period in a person's life associated with making a fateful decision. Translated from the Greek language it means "separation of roads", therefore this state of mind is also called "a twist of fate."
Any internal crisis period develops against the background of an already familiar lifestyle, when a person gets used to a certain way of life, regularity and comfortable conditions. But at one point a breakdown occurs, and an unstable psychological state deprives him of support, confidence that his life is really what he needs. A person has new needs. During these periods, people come into conflict with the world around them, they are unhappy with everything that surrounds them. But in fact, according to psychologists, the essence of the crisis lies in internal conflict and the inability of a person to accept reality, the desire to make it ideal. Against this background, a protest arises, and then the search for solutions begins. It is important that they are found, and the person directs all the accumulated energy to their implementation.
The concept of a crisis period includes the following main theses:
- Any crisis is a psychologically difficult period that must be accepted and experienced.
- This period can by no means be considered a dead end. This accumulated contradictions come into conflict with your inner "I".
- There are always ways out of the crisis period of life, which are hidden in action, the realization of needs and desires.
- The experienced crisis contributes to the formation of character, the development of strong volitional qualities.
- After a difficult stage, a person gains confidence, and he has a new comfortable model of behavior.
Tipping points can occur for a variety of reasons related to personal life, work, or health. These are individual situations, but there are a number of so-called “obligatory age crises” through which all people go through, and a person cannot influence their beginning.
The main causes of crisis age periods
The appearance of a crisis at different ages is a pattern that indicates the development of a personality. In addition to physiological aspects, there are several other important reasons for the appearance of such periods.
What leads to the emergence of a crisis:
- Injury … This can be a trauma that a child experiences during birth, or a person suffered in early childhood. These factors influence the course of the crisis and its duration.
- Formation of personality and formation of character … This happens when a person already has a certain set of information about the world around him and begins to fully use the knowledge gained: to manipulate, demand, study the boundaries of what is permitted.
- Influence of others … Parents, friends, spouse, acquaintances and colleagues play an important role in the start of the crisis. Sometimes a thrown phrase, a quarrel or a certain negative situation can serve as an impetus. These circumstances make one think about life priorities, can lead to an analysis of achievements, dissatisfaction and, as a result, a crisis.
- The pursuit of excellence … A person develops throughout his life, but there are periods when he is not satisfied with his appearance, the level of wages or the state of housing. This also becomes the reason for the beginning of the crisis period. People who set high standards for themselves are especially susceptible to this.
- A sharp change in the usual way of life … This can be a transition to a new job, a move to another city or to a new apartment. Against this background, new needs and desires may appear, the individual will develop reflections, internal experiences that will result in a crisis.
Please note that during a crisis, a person always faces a choice, and the choice he makes depends on how successful his life will be in the future.
The main signs of a crisis period in life
A person who is going through a turning point in life can simply be distinguished from the crowd by visual symptoms - a wandering gaze, a drooping mind. There are also a number of internal signs that characterize this condition:
- Empty stare … One gets the impression that a person is constantly thinking about something of his own. Often people in crisis become so immersed in themselves that they do not even respond when the interlocutor addresses them.
- Mood swings … A person can be completely calm at first glance and suddenly start crying or laugh wildly at a banal joke. It all depends on the age of the individual. For example, adolescents find it difficult to control their negative emotions, and people of mature age already know how to control themselves.
- Refusal to eat and sleep … Sometimes consciously, and sometimes due to nervous tension, a person cannot eat and sleep normally.
- Pessimistic or overly optimistic about the future … Excessive emotionality is inherent in people during these periods: they have plans and desires, but some people fall into depression because they cannot realize them, while others begin to create the effect of vigorous activity. These two options are not the norm in everyday life and are considered a clear sign that a person is experiencing internal stress.
Any age crisis should not be suppressed by the individual or by parents when it comes to turning points in children. Only living this situation and getting out of it with new patterns of behavior will allow one to avoid psychological disorders.
Characteristics of crisis periods of different years of life
At each stage of growing up and changes in the inner world of a person, a certain age crisis awaits. In childhood, these states pass unnoticed by the child, here the behavior of the parents plays a very important role. For the first time, a person consciously encounters a crisis in adolescence. This is a very important period when, on the one hand, it is necessary to give the child the opportunity to make decisions on his own, and on the other hand, to protect him from the negative consequences of these decisions. In adulthood, there is also a place for crises, mainly because of the inability to accept reality and the thirst for new impressions.
Children's crises in life
The life of a little person from the first minutes of existence begins with stress. The so-called newborn crisis is the first tipping point when he fights for his life and wins by taking his first breath.
The following childhood crises appear at different stages of a toddler's development:
- In the first year of life … The reason is the first conscious distance from the closest person - mother. The child begins to walk, expanding his horizons. And also the baby learns to speak and can already speak with native scraps of words. This leads to emotional excitement, an urgent need to do everything on your own: find out what kind of object it is, touch it and even try it. Parents at this time are better off just watching the child, without interfering with learning the world, eliminating obvious dangerous objects from his reach.
- In the third year … The most emotionally expressed children's crisis, which is characterized by several symptoms at once: a negative reaction associated with the attitude of one person to another, stubbornness, a desire to have crumbs taken into account, a protest against domestic order, a desire for emancipation from adults. In fact, at this time the child wants to do everything himself, breaks ties with adults, he begins a period of separating his own “I”. At this time, it is very important to lay the crumb love for the world around him, to show him that this world loves him. Only children with such confidence grow up to be optimists, not afraid to make decisions and take responsibility for their lives.
- In the seventh year … This is a "school crisis", which is characterized by the acquisition of new knowledge, the beginning of the thought process, when the child can already think over and analyze his actions. During this period, children have a symptom of "bitter candy": they withdraw into themselves, pretend that nothing bothers them, and they themselves may suffer. Emotionally, they experience great stress, because their life after going to school changes dramatically, social ties begin to form. The support of parents, their maximum participation in the life of a first grader is very important here.
Crisis periods of a person's life in youth
The transition to adulthood is also marked by several periods of crisis. At this time, yesterday's child must already make serious decisions, be responsible for his actions, be able to manage finances. Many children are separated from their parents for the first time, leaving to study. This is a strong stress, which will either educate the child's will, or will cause a number of irresponsible actions.
What crisis age periods are distinguished in adolescence:
- In adolescence 12-16 years old … This age is also called "transitional" and "difficult". At this time, the child's body changes, puberty occurs and interest in the opposite sex appears. From a psychological point of view, an adult child evaluates himself through the prism of perception by other people. The main thing to him is what a friend or friend said about him, his dress or bag. It is very important not to hang labels on the child, not to focus on his shortcomings, because in adulthood all this will turn into complexes. The child should be given confidence that he has many positive qualities and merits - so he will develop them.
- Self-determination crisis … It is observed at the age of 18-22, when a person realizes that youthful maximalism does not always work and that everything cannot be divided only into “white” and “black”. At this time, a lot of opportunities are revealed to young people, and it is difficult to choose one correct option. Therefore, people often make mistakes, following not their dreams, but what was imposed by their parents, teachers, friends. During this period, it is important to listen to yourself and make a choice in favor of your desires, to be able to defend them. And you also need to accept and love yourself with all your shortcomings.
Crisis periods of personality development in adulthood
After 30 years, when a person has already chosen a course of movement in life, priorities and goals have been defined, he may be disturbed by a feeling of dissatisfaction, thoughts from the series “how could my life have turned out if …” may overwhelm him. This is the first sign that the crisis periods of mature years are on the nose.
Consider the features of crisis periods in adulthood:
- Age 32-37 … A person can come into conflict with himself. Seeing his mistakes, he can no longer, as in his youth, easily agree with them and accept the fact of their presence. On the contrary, he begins an internal struggle, proving to himself that there can be no mistakes, and all his actions were correct. There are two ways out of this crisis: to accept mistakes, to adjust the plan for the future and receive an influx of energy for its implementation, or to cling to past experience and illusory ideals, while remaining in place. The latter option can last for several years and make the person extremely unhappy.
- Aged 37-45 … Emotionally difficult period of life, when both men and women tend to break established ties for the sake of the desire to go further, develop and get what they want. Family, work, everyday life - all this may seem like an "extra burden" that pulls to the bottom. A person comes to a clear understanding that there is only one life and there is no desire to spend it on insipid existence. The way out is seen in the interruption of burdensome ties, the redistribution of responsibilities, a change in the field of activity in order to get more free time to realize their own goals.
- After 45 years … This is the time of the second youth, when both men and women stop measuring their age by the years they have lived, and begin to feel their inner potential for future years. During this period, due to hormonal changes, women become like adolescents - their mood often changes, they are offended for any reason. Men develop the male instinct, they again strive to become conquerors, to fight for their own. As psychologists say, at this age, you can either make the insipid marital relationship more acute, or find a new, temperamental partner.
- After 55 years … During this period, there is a protracted crisis, which involves the acceptance of several truths: your body has changed, you will have to retire, death is inevitable. Psychologists believe that the worst thing for a person at this time is to be alone, without the need to take care of someone or go to your favorite job. However, one should not lose heart, the main indisputable plus of this period is that a person gets a lot of free time, which he dreamed of throughout his life. Now is the time to use it, because mature age is not a disease, but the moment when you can allow yourself to travel and relax. It is also advisable to find yourself a hobby after retirement to fill up a lot of time. It is important that the concept of "old age" does not become synonymous with passivity. This is a period of enjoying the results of your life, time that you can devote only to yourself.
Transitional stages in life should be taken calmly, smoothly stepping from one step of the crisis to another, realizing that it will not be possible to jump over several in one fell swoop. It is important to get out of each crisis internally enriched, with a new incentive for further achievements.
How to cope with the crisis periods of life
Any crisis is stress for a person, which can cause deterioration in health and performance. To prevent this from happening, you must follow the rules that will help you survive the crisis periods of personality development:
- Find an incentive to get out of bed … Even in times of crisis, every person is surrounded by many small and big joys. The main thing is to find them. This could be your child's laugh while playing, a morning walk with the dog, a cup of your favorite coffee, or a daily run. At first, all this will seem petty and unimportant to you, but doing these rituals, you will understand that it is from such joys that great happiness is built.
- Practice yoga or pilates … During difficult moments in life, it is important to learn how to relax as much as possible, turning off not only the body, but also the head. These practices will help you deal with this and will also tone your muscles.
- Give yourself positive emotions … During times of stress, it is very useful to walk in parks, go to exhibitions, to the cinema for comedy films. Smile, laughter, joy are the basis that will prevent negative thoughts from engulfing you. This also applies to children in crisis - give them more vivid emotions.
- Praise yourself … Do this at every step: you managed to catch the minibus - great, you managed to submit the report on time - it is also your merit. You need to boost your self-esteem.
- Do you want to cry - cry … Restraining emotions is harmful at any age, especially during a crisis. With tears and screams, the negative accumulated inside comes out. A person is exhausted, cleansed and opens up to meet new achievements.
- Don't go into yourself … Remember, age crises are a natural process, you cannot hide from it or pass by, it is important to survive it. If you find it difficult, lonely and it seems that you cannot cope with all the thoughts that have fallen upon you, be sure to seek help from a psychologist.
What is a crisis period in a person's life - see the video:
[media = https://www.youtube.com/watch? v = PiRrsftYhzI] Lonely people, those who have recently experienced the death of a loved one or patients with serious diagnoses, are more prone to breakdowns amid the crisis. To prevent depression, these people should be helped by their friends and family with their attention and participation.
