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

What if your mind is already having moments of calm—and you’re missing them?
There’s nothing wrong with you—your brain is trained to notice what’s wrong, and you can gently retrain it by noticing moments of calm.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why your brain naturally focuses on anxiety and stress in midlife—and why that’s not a flaw
How small, overlooked moments of calm can begin to rebalance your mind using simple coping skills
Why staying with calm for just a few seconds helps it become something you feel more often
 Take 10 minutes to begin noticing calm already in your life—you’re worth it.
Send us Fan Mail

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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 happens when anxiety and stress train your nervous system to stay constantly on even when your body is desperate for calm?
There is a calmer and more emotionally sustainable way to relate to your nervous system,
 In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why chronic stress, responsibility, and constant mental scanning quietly train your nervous system to live on high alert
How anxiety and emotional overload disconnect you from calm, rest, presence, and even your sense of self
Practical coping skills that help you build a healthier relationship with your mind and nervous system so you can feel more grounded, energized, and emotionally connected again
Take 11 minutes to better understand why your nervous system feels stuck on alert—and how to begin coming back to yourself again—you’re worth it.

Learn more about the Inner Challenge Masterclass:
mailto:[email protected]?subject=Inner%20Challenge%20Masterclass
Send us Fan Mail

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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 your mind isn’t exhausted from overthinking but from carrying responsibility for too much that was never fully yours to hold?
There is a calmer and more emotionally sustainable way to relate to stress, anxiety and uncertainty.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why anxiety and chronic stress quietly train your mind to leave its own lane and carry things you cannot fully control
How constantly managing other people’s emotions, reactions, futures, and outcomes creates ongoing mental exhaustion
A practical coping skill that helps you notice when your mind has drifted out of its lane so you can return to greater calm, clarity, and emotional presence
 Take 9 minutes to better understand why your mind feels constantly “on”—and how to begin coming back to yourself again—you’re worth it.

Email MJ for the Stay in Your Lane tool:
mailto:[email protected]?subject=Stay%20In%20Your%20Lane%20Tool
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 talking about your anxiety is actually making your stress worse in midlife?
You’re not alone if you’ve tried to talk through anxiety and stress and still feel unsettled or stuck afterward.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
How to notice and name anxiety before it pulls you into unhelpful talking
Why calming your body first helps reduce stress and makes your thinking clearer
How to use a simple coping skill to stop anxiety and stress from building—and move toward clarity.
 Take 10 minutes to calm your body and clear your mind—you’re worth 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.

Have you ever talked through your anxiety and still felt unsettled afterward?
You’re not alone—many people turn to talking as a way to feel better, but it doesn’t always bring the calm you’re hoping for.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why anxiety naturally pushes you to talk—and why it can feel helpful in the moment
How talking can quietly reinforce anxiety by strengthening thoughts and stories
How to recognize when your way of talking is helping you feel calmer—or keeping you stuck
 Take 8 minutes to better understand your anxiety patterns—you’re worth 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.