Creating Midlife Calm: Coping Skills for Stress & Anxiety in Family, Work & Relationships

Have you ever felt the quiet anxiety of stepping into midlife without a roadmap or recognition?
This episode is your invisible graduation ceremony—honoring the transition no one prepared you for.
.Here’s what you’ll take away from this episode:

1. Why anxiety in midlife is normal—and often a sign you’re being called into leadership.
2. How to cultivate coping skills that are rooted in presence, not performance.
3. The surprising power of quiet transitions and how they shape your influence and purpose.

 Listen now to honor your own midlife graduation and step into the role you’ve been preparing for all along.

Send us Fan Mail

****

About the Host: 

MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, is a seasoned clinician, educator, and host of the podcast Creating Midlife Calm, recognized by Maria Shriver as a “Listen of the Week.” Over the past 40 years, MJ has led more than 50,000 therapy sessions and developed the Inner Challenge mental wellness program and the Inner Challenge Master Class, practical tools for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and resilience taught for more than 30 years in junior high schools and at the University of Notre Dame for freshman football players. Through her podcast, teaching, and coaching, MJ helps people build calmer lives, stronger relationships, and healthier communities.

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. 

Are you stuck in anxiety and overwhelmed by your never-ending to-do list?
You’re not alone — and the surprising solution might be something you haven’t done in years: play.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1.  How play calms your brain and reduces anxiety in midlife

2.  The two biggest reasons anxious adults stop playing — and how to overcome          them

3.   Simple coping skills to bring play back into daily life — from joy scrolling to five minutes on a backyard swing

🎧 Press play now to rediscover laughter, lightness, and the forgotten coping skill your midlife brain needs.

Send us Fan Mail

****

About the Host: 

MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, is a seasoned clinician, educator, and host of the podcast Creating Midlife Calm, recognized by Maria Shriver as a “Listen of the Week.” Over the past 40 years, MJ has led more than 50,000 therapy sessions and developed the Inner Challenge mental wellness program and the Inner Challenge Master Class, practical tools for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and resilience taught for more than 30 years in junior high schools and at the University of Notre Dame for freshman football players. Through her podcast, teaching, and coaching, MJ helps people build calmer lives, stronger relationships, and healthier communities.

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. 

Are you too anxious, tired, or busy to have fun this summer?
You’re not alone—but science shows that fun  isn’t frivolous

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. Why summer is uniquely suited to help you reset your anxiety.
2. How childhood memories can guide your adult self toward healing and play.
3. A simple 3-step tool to help you bring back fun—even if it feels far away.

🎧 Press play to learn how small moments of joy can interrupt the stress cycle and become one of your most reliable coping skills in midlife.

Send us Fan Mail

****

About the Host: 

MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, is a seasoned clinician, educator, and host of the podcast Creating Midlife Calm, recognized by Maria Shriver as a “Listen of the Week.” Over the past 40 years, MJ has led more than 50,000 therapy sessions and developed the Inner Challenge mental wellness program and the Inner Challenge Master Class, practical tools for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and resilience taught for more than 30 years in junior high schools and at the University of Notre Dame for freshman football players. Through her podcast, teaching, and coaching, MJ helps people build calmer lives, stronger relationships, and healthier communities.

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. 

Are you caught between wanting to help your adult child and drowning in anxiety because nothing seems to change?
There’s a way to support them without losing yourself.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. How to shift into a steady mindset that protects your peace — and gives your child the space they need to build confidence and resilience.
2. How to set clear, loving boundaries around finances, home life, and expectations — helping your child develop responsibility and independence.
3. How to recognize and address overuse and addiction issues with calm honesty — creating an environment where real healing and progress can begin.

🎧 Listen now to start building doable coping skills you need to ease anxiety, stay grounded, and support your adult child’s growth without enabling.

Send us Fan Mail

****

About the Host: 

MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, is a seasoned clinician, educator, and host of the podcast Creating Midlife Calm, recognized by Maria Shriver as a “Listen of the Week.” Over the past 40 years, MJ has led more than 50,000 therapy sessions and developed the Inner Challenge mental wellness program and the Inner Challenge Master Class, practical tools for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and resilience taught for more than 30 years in junior high schools and at the University of Notre Dame for freshman football players. Through her podcast, teaching, and coaching, MJ helps people build calmer lives, stronger relationships, and healthier communities.

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. 

Are you feeling anxious about your adult child who just isn’t launching?
You’re not alone—and you’re definitely not a bad parent.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1.  Why today’s young adults are facing a drastically different—and harder—world than previous generations

2.  How phones, cannabis, and constant cultural pessimism are impacting motivation and mental health

3.  What you can do to move from guilt and frustration to calm, clarity, and more effective support

🎧 Listen now this episode will help you see the bigger picture and reclaim a sense of power and peace—no matter where your child is on their journey.

Send us Fan Mail

****

About the Host: 

MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, is a seasoned clinician, educator, and host of the podcast Creating Midlife Calm, recognized by Maria Shriver as a “Listen of the Week.” Over the past 40 years, MJ has led more than 50,000 therapy sessions and developed the Inner Challenge mental wellness program and the Inner Challenge Master Class, practical tools for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and resilience taught for more than 30 years in junior high schools and at the University of Notre Dame for freshman football players. Through her podcast, teaching, and coaching, MJ helps people build calmer lives, stronger relationships, and healthier communities.

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. 

Are you or you kids relying on cannabis to unwind, sleep, or deal with anxiety? 
 You’re not alone—and you’re not broken—but you might be self-medicating in a way that’s backfiring.

In this episode  you’ll discover:

1. How cannabis quietly shifts from a tool to a trap—and the signs you’re missing.
2. The difference between social and chronic use and why it matters for your anxiety.
3. Why modeling healthy coping skills is crucial if you’re parenting in the cannabis era.

✨ If you're ready to feel more present, focused, and emotionally grounded—without numbing out—this episode is your reset button.

👉 Listen now to rethink your relationship with cannabis and reclaim your calm.

Huberman Lab Podcast – Episode 92: "The Effects of Cannabis (Marijuana) on the Brain & Body" (October 3, 2022)

🔗 Watch on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXvuJu1kt48

Send us Fan Mail

****

About the Host: 

MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, is a seasoned clinician, educator, and host of the podcast Creating Midlife Calm, recognized by Maria Shriver as a “Listen of the Week.” Over the past 40 years, MJ has led more than 50,000 therapy sessions and developed the Inner Challenge mental wellness program and the Inner Challenge Master Class, practical tools for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and resilience taught for more than 30 years in junior high schools and at the University of Notre Dame for freshman football players. Through her podcast, teaching, and coaching, MJ helps people build calmer lives, stronger relationships, and healthier communities.

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. 

Are you still reaching for a glass of wine to take the edge off midlife anxiety?
What once felt like a relaxing ritual may now be working against your peace, sleep, and sanity.
In this episode, you’ll discover:

1.    Why midlife hormonal and brain changes can cause alcohol to increase—not           relieve—your anxiety.

2.    Four healthier, science-backed coping skills that will REALLY help your anxiety. 

3.    How to track your drinking habits, rewire your routines to regain control over your emotional well-being.

Press play to learn how to reclaim calm and feel better—without wine running the show.

Send us Fan Mail

****

About the Host: 

MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, is a seasoned clinician, educator, and host of the podcast Creating Midlife Calm, recognized by Maria Shriver as a “Listen of the Week.” Over the past 40 years, MJ has led more than 50,000 therapy sessions and developed the Inner Challenge mental wellness program and the Inner Challenge Master Class, practical tools for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and resilience taught for more than 30 years in junior high schools and at the University of Notre Dame for freshman football players. Through her podcast, teaching, and coaching, MJ helps people build calmer lives, stronger relationships, and healthier communities.

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. 

What if the way you respond to crisis could reshape your anxiety—and your relationships?
This powerful episode reveals how one midlife couple used emotional presence, humor, and grounded coping skills to face a devastating cancer diagnosis.

Discover:

1.     Coping skills that hold both grief and joy in times of deep uncertainty

2.     Why emotional honesty—not toughness—relieves midlife anxiety during crisis

3.     How community, faith, and presence redefine mental wellness in the face of cancer

Listen now to discover how midlife anxiety shifts when you stop fighting and start dancing through it.

Send us Fan Mail

****

About the Host: 

MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, is a seasoned clinician, educator, and host of the podcast Creating Midlife Calm, recognized by Maria Shriver as a “Listen of the Week.” Over the past 40 years, MJ has led more than 50,000 therapy sessions and developed the Inner Challenge mental wellness program and the Inner Challenge Master Class, practical tools for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and resilience taught for more than 30 years in junior high schools and at the University of Notre Dame for freshman football players. Through her podcast, teaching, and coaching, MJ helps people build calmer lives, stronger relationships, and healthier communities.

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. 

Are you frustrated that anxiety medication isn’t giving you the relief you hoped for?
If you’ve been relying solely on medication and still struggle with anxiety, there’s hope.
In this episode you’ll discover:

1. Five simple, no-cost strategies to enhance your medication’s effectiveness and build a more balanced life.
2. How to shift your mindset from “I need to fix my anxiety” to “I need to improve my lifestyle” for long-term relief.
3. The 5  practical things you NEED to do, to reduce your anxiety. Even if you take medication

Press play now to uncover the missing pieces of anxiety treatment and take the first step toward a healthier, calmer you! 

Links to Episodes Mentioned in Episode 155:

Ep. 61 – Mental Wellness: Specific Coping Skills for & Losing Weight Your Way in Young Adulthood, Midlife & the Golden Years
https://tinyurl.com/y3eukhnh

Ep. 91 – Use These 2 Mindfulness Practices To Instantly Increase Gratitude, Calm & Joy!
https://tinyurl.com/u82dbx4z

Ep. 93 – 5 Simple Sleep Hacks To Help You Sleep Better Tonight!
https://tinyurl.com/ymbte8xu

Ep. 121 – Outsmarting Your Smartphone – The Science and Solutions You Need To Decrease Anxiety & Increase Midlife Calm
https://tinyurl.com/43znpns9

Ep. 122 – 3 Proven Coping Skills to Outsmart Your Smartphone and Decrease Anxiety & Reclaim 2 Hours a Day for Midlife Calm
https://tinyurl.com/mvbd5dzk
(Additional Link: https://pod.fo/e/2ac72e)

Ep. 123 – Simple Hacks to Conquer Midlife Exercise Resistance, Shift Your Mindset, Decrease Anxiety This New Year
https://tinyurl.com/3nbrh2b2

Ep. 124 – 3 Science-Backed Coping Skills to Overcome Exercise Challenges in Midlife
https://tinyurl.com/4p8rhma5

Ep. 140 – Understanding Hormones and Anxiety and How Midlife Women Can Regain Control
https://tinyurl.com/55df8dn4

Ep. 141 – The 3 Essential Hormones You Must Balance in Midlife for Less Anxiety, Better Sleep, and a Healthier Weight
https://tinyurl.com/5n6f4ksn

Send us Fan Mail

****

About the Host: 

MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, is a seasoned clinician, educator, and host of the podcast Creating Midlife Calm, recognized by Maria Shriver as a “Listen of the Week.” Over the past 40 years, MJ has led more than 50,000 therapy sessions and developed the Inner Challenge mental wellness program and the Inner Challenge Master Class, practical tools for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and resilience taught for more than 30 years in junior high schools and at the University of Notre Dame for freshman football players. Through her podcast, teaching, and coaching, MJ helps people build calmer lives, stronger relationships, and healthier communities.

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. 

Are you concerned about weight gain after starting anxiety medication? 

You  don’t have to choose between your mental health and your physical health.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. The key reasons why some anxiety medications lead to weight gain and how to identify if it's affecting you.
2. Four effective strategies to prevent and manage medication-related weight changes. 
3. How to work with your doctor to find the right medication for you

Press play now to gain the knowledge and tools to manage medication-related weight changes so you can feel your best—mentally and physically.

Send us Fan Mail

****

About the Host: 

MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, is a seasoned clinician, educator, and host of the podcast Creating Midlife Calm, recognized by Maria Shriver as a “Listen of the Week.” Over the past 40 years, MJ has led more than 50,000 therapy sessions and developed the Inner Challenge mental wellness program and the Inner Challenge Master Class, practical tools for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and resilience taught for more than 30 years in junior high schools and at the University of Notre Dame for freshman football players. Through her podcast, teaching, and coaching, MJ helps people build calmer lives, stronger relationships, and healthier communities.

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.