We are excited to be back for our 30th episode and tocelebrate our 2nd year anniversary of the podcast.

In the opening 10 minute segment we reflect on how thepodcast has helped us cope with midlife issues, and Jack tells a story about a recent grad student who recently quit a job in industry to pursue a career in teaching.

In the main segment (11:30) we discuss a paper whereresearchers try to find evidence that people tend to search more for meaning and purpose in life when they reach a new decade in chronological age. Are men more likely to cheat on their relationships, are we more likely commit suicide,and are we more likely to run a marathon for the first time when we are at a "nine-ender" age? We discuss the research evidence for all thesebehaviors.

We end the episode by reflecting on our current transitionfrom age 49 to 50 and how this is or is not impacting our search for meaning and purpose in life.

Email: midlifecrisespod@gmail.com

Social Media: message Jack Eichler or Alvin Shultz onFacebook.

In this episode we have brought on special guest host Carolyn Lambert to tackle the topic of coping with aging parents. Carolyn is a certified parent coach who was a guest on the podcast back in episode 11, and she is currently acting as a caregiver for her father who recently sustained a serious physical injury.
In our opening segment Jack reports to Alvin and Carolyn whether the book Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck has made him cry yet, we briefly discuss an article by Harvard business school professor Arthur Brooks, in which he argues that pushing yourself to do things you are likely to fail will make you happier, and we introduce a new segment called Wisdom from Alvin's youth where Alvin reads an entry from his high school journal.
In our main segment (28:00) we discuss two papers related to dealing with aging parents. The first looks at how demographic shifts over the past 100 years have resulted in middle aged folks being confronted more frequently with caring for aging parents, and the expectations and resentments mid-lifers might have with respect to these caregiving situations. The second paper discusses the different coping strategies we tend to use when caring for our aging parents, and we discuss these with Carolyn in the context of her current situation in which she is caring for her father.
As always, we hope you leave us a five star review and follow us in your podcast feed, and please share the podcast with all of your friends and family in your social media platforms.

Arthur Brooks article:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/to-succeed-fail-better/681492/?gift=JlCQzt3MIZaHNzn12_BIC6Ii6LGkjfV5Ze_XJr6BLhw&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

Email: midlifecrisespod@gmail.com

Facebook: you can friend Jack Eichler and Alvin Shultz

We apologize for the delay between pods, but as you'll hear in this episode Alvin experienced some chaos over Christmas and New Year's, so we were delayed in putting out our annual holiday special. Though this is coming out a little late, this should be a nice way for you to reflect on the holidays and think about some potential New Year's resolutions.
In the opening segment we hear from Alvin about how his iPhone got hacked, as well some physical issues that he has been dealing with over the past couple of months. You'll learn how a UB Key can be used to protect your phone, and what a cervical myelopathy is.
At minute 21:00 we have a holiday edition of our Are You Not Entertained segment where Jack reports on an unexpected movie that you can add to your Christmas movie rotation.
The main segment starts at minute 35:00, in which we discuss a commentary from the Journal of Psychiatry Reform that argues the holiday blues are a real phenomenon. We briefly reflect on our own views of the holiday season, review data that suggests the winter holidays are a risk factor for death, explore how the holidays might lead to increases in anxiety and depression, and discuss some of the wellness toolkit action items that might help you deal with the holiday blues and improve general well being.

Email: midlifecrisespod@gmail.com

Facebook: You can friend Jack Eichler or Alvin Shultz

Commentary from the Journal of Psychiatry Reform:

https://journalofpsychiatryreform.com/2019/12/19/wellness-calendar-for-the-busy-physician-how-to-survive-the-holiday-blues/