In: character, podcast, self-improvement

Brett and Kate McKay • 7 July 2026

Many of us grow up believing that midlife is the time when things start going downhill. Your body is breaking down, your best work is behind you, and you may be in a full-on existential crisis. But much of what we think about midlife is based more on pop culture than actual research.

My guest says the reality is much more encouraging. Her name is Margie Lachman. She is a professor of psychology, director of the Lifespan Lab at Brandeis University, and author Primetime: A New Approach to Midlife. Today on the show, Margie discusses what age range constitutes midlife – and it’s not just a matter of chronological age – and whether people actually become less happy and experience midlife crises during these years. She explains why your brain continues to improve in surprising ways even as certain abilities slow down, and why this stage of life often represents the extreme combination of creativity and judgment. We also talk about the real challenges that come with midlife and how adopting the right mindset and habits can mitigate those negative aspects, while Margie argues that it can actually be a sweet spot in life – a time when you still have plenty of physical and mental vitality, and this is coupled with lived experience and wisdom.