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

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

MJ Murray Vachon LCSW 276 Episodes Aug 21, 2026

This podcast offers practical coping skills for managing midlife stress and anxiety in family, work, and relationships. Hosted by therapist MJ Murray Vachon, LCSW, it provides tools to reduce anxiety, build emotional resilience, and cultivate calm. Each episode focuses on transforming stress into clarity and confidence through proven techniques. New episodes are released every Monday.

Episodes

Ep. 301 The Surprising Way You May Be Disrupting Your Own Calm and Increasing Anxiety & Stress in Midlife
Ep. 301 The Surprising Way You May Be Disrupting Your Own Calm and Increasing Anxiety & Stress in Midlife Aug 21, 2026 255 What if some of the little things disrupting your calm aren’t worth giving your energy to?Sometimes creating more calm begins by noticing what unnecessarily pulls you out of it.In this episode, you’ll discover:How looking back at what disrupted your calm can help you practice letting go of what you can’t control. Take 4 minutes to notice what’s rocking your calm and practice letting it go—you’re w
Ep. 300 How to Calm Anxiety and Overwhelm in Midlife When So Much Feels Out of Your Control
Ep. 300 How to Calm Anxiety and Overwhelm in Midlife When So Much Feels Out of Your Control Aug 20, 2026 622 What happens when anxiety has you feeling like you need to control everything just to feel okay?When life feels out of control, overwhelm can quickly take over.In this episode, you’ll discover:1.    How to recognize when anxiety is pulling you toward things you simply can’t control.2.    A simple coping skill to help you sort through overwhelm and focus your energy where it can actually make a dif
Ep. 299 Why You Feel Behind When Fall Begins and How It Affects Your Nervous System, Stress & Anxiety
Ep. 299 Why You Feel Behind When Fall Begins and How It Affects Your Nervous System, Stress & Anxiety Aug 17, 2026 514 What if feeling behind when fall begins isn’t only about your schedule—but about how your nervous system responds to change?If the shift from summer to fall increases your stress and anxiety in midlife, you’re not alone.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why your nervous system becomes more alert when life changes rhythm.How that alertness can leave you rushing, catastrophizing, and feeling behind b
Ep. 298 Anxiety Wants Answers—Calm Begins With One Breath
Ep. 298 Anxiety Wants Answers—Calm Begins With One Breath Aug 14, 2026 227 What if the calm you’re searching for isn’t found in having the answers, but in taking one gentle breath?If anxiety keeps pulling you into the future or back into the past, you’re not alone.In this episode, you’ll discover:How your breath can become a simple anchor that gently brings you back to the present—even during life’s most difficult moments. Take 3 minutes to discover how one breath can he
Ep. 297 The Simple Coping Skill That Keeps Anxiety From Stealing Connection With the People You Love in Midlife
Ep. 297 The Simple Coping Skill That Keeps Anxiety From Stealing Connection With the People You Love in Midlife Aug 13, 2026 466 What if the people you love don’t need you to fix anything—they simply need your presence?If you’ve ever found yourself worrying about the future instead of fully experiencing the moment you’re in, you’re not alone. In this episode, you’ll discover:1.    How one simple coping skill helps keep anxiety from quietly stealing connection with the people you love.2.    Why choosing curiosity instead of
Ep. 296 How Anxiety, Stress & Overwhelm Quietly Steal Your Attention From the People You Love in Midlife
Ep. 296 How Anxiety, Stress & Overwhelm Quietly Steal Your Attention From the People You Love in Midlife Aug 10, 2026 583 What if anxiety isn’t just affecting how you feel but quietly stealing your attention from the people you love?If you’ve ever walked away from a conversation wishing you’d been more present, you’re not alone.In this episode, you’ll discover:How anxiety, stress, and overthinking can quietly redirect your attention toward self-protection.Why this doesn’t mean you’re selfish—it means your nervous sys
Ep. 295 Unexpected Lessons A Toddler Taught Me About Rest, Anxiety & Coping Skills in Midlife
Ep. 295 Unexpected Lessons A Toddler Taught Me About Rest, Anxiety & Coping Skills in Midlife Aug 7, 2026 226 What if the kind of rest you’re longing for is something a toddler already knows how to do?If life has become one long list of responsibilities and expectations, you’re not alone.In this episode, you’ll discover:What watching a toddler taught me about leaving the world of doing behind and rediscovering the kind of rest that creates genuine calm. Take 3 minutes to rediscover the restful wisdom your
Ep. 294 Why Resting More Will Never Calm Your Anxiety & Stress-- And What Actually Helps
Ep. 294 Why Resting More Will Never Calm Your Anxiety & Stress-- And What Actually Helps Aug 6, 2026 809 What if the reason more time to rest hasn’t eased your anxiety and stress is because no one ever taught you how to truly rest?If you’ve ever found yourself longing for more downtime only to discover you still couldn’t relax, you’re not alone.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why more time to rest isn’t enough to calm anxiety and stress—and what your nervous system may actually need instead.Why rest
Ep. 293 Why Changing Your Relationship with Sleep Is One of the Most Powerful Coping Skills for Anxiety & Stress in Midlife
Ep. 293 Why Changing Your Relationship with Sleep Is One of the Most Powerful Coping Skills for Anxiety & Stress in Midlife Aug 3, 2026 847 What if the key to sleeping better isn’t finding the perfect solution—but changing your relationship with sleep?If changing sleep has become part of your midlife journey, you’re not alone. .In this episode, you’ll discover:Why changing your relationship with sleep may matter more than finding the perfect sleep solution.How curiosity can become one of your greatest coping skills as your body change
Ep. 292 What Pulling Weeds Taught Me About Facing What I'd Rather Avoid
Ep. 292 What Pulling Weeds Taught Me About Facing What I'd Rather Avoid Jul 31, 2026 261 What if the little things you keep avoiding are actually preparing you for the hard things in life?We all have ordinary tasks we'd rather put off, but those everyday moments can become opportunities to build resilience and create calm.In this  mini-episode, you'll discover:1. How doing one small thing you'd rather avoid can strengthen your coping skills and make it easier to face li
Ep. 291 What To Do When Anxiety Becomes Overwhelm and You Can't Think Clearly
Ep. 291 What To Do When Anxiety Becomes Overwhelm and You Can't Think Clearly Jul 30, 2026 804 Have you ever become so overwhelmed that you couldn’t think clearly, even though part of you knew you were overreacting?Overwhelm can quietly take over your nervous system, making fear feel like reality and leaving you unsure what to do next.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why overwhelm is different from anxiety and stress—and why understanding that difference matters.How fear quietly begins lead
EP. 290 How Anxiety & Overwhelm Can Lead You To Avoid What Matters Most in Midlife
EP. 290 How Anxiety & Overwhelm Can Lead You To Avoid What Matters Most in Midlife Jul 27, 2026 632 What if the biggest problem isn’t your anxiety—but what anxiety is convincing you not to do?If you’ve been putting off a conversation, avoiding a decision, or looking away from something that feels overwhelming, you’re not alone.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why avoidance is often anxiety’s attempt to protect you from feeling overwhelmedHow learning to stay steady with difficult emotions can he

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