Welcome to Middle Man, for midlife men and the people who love them.

Midlife can be challenging for multiple reasons, so if you're feeling lost or trapped or unhappy, you're not broken and you're far from alone. You're just human.

Middle Man is focused on helping you to understand and transition through midlife with ease. On this site you'll find articles, news, podcasts, books and experts, all focused on helping you live a more joyful, purposeful and meaningful life.

As a start point, take the quick Check In so we can point you in the right direction.

The Middle Man Check In

An at-a-glance reflection for men navigating midlife that helps provide a directional signal.

A low overall score generally indicates stronger emotional alignment, resilience and support. A high overall score suggests increasing disconnection, pressure or emotional load.

1 / 15

I feel stuck, even though things look fine from the outside

2 / 15

I feel proud of the man I’ve become

3 / 15

I feel a background restlessness I can’t fully explain

4 / 15

I feel a sense of purpose that excites me

5 / 15

I feel trapped by expectations, whether my own or other people’s

6 / 15

I feel emotionally resilient when things don’t go to plan

7 / 15

I feel exhausted in ways that rest alone doesn’t fix

8 / 15

I feel in control of the direction my life is heading

9 / 15

I feel emotionally flat or disconnected at times

10 / 15

I avoid thinking too far ahead because it feels overwhelming

11 / 15

I feel calm and grounded more often than anxious or tense

12 / 15

I quietly question whether the life I’m living is the one I truly want

13 / 15

I feel I can speak honestly without being judged

14 / 15

I feel pressure to appear strong, capable, or “sorted”

15 / 15

I feel lonely, even when I’m around others

Your score is

LATEST PODCAST EPISODE

Living With Constant Self Doubt

Comparison can be a paralysing trap that it’s very hard to break free from. Clouded in a mindset of self-doubt, nothing ever feels enough, no matter what you achieve or how outwardly successful you appear. Comparison slowly erodes self-worth and leads to a life full of unsatisfaction that comes to a head in midlife.

Features

If Midlife Feels Empty, You’re Asking the Wrong Questions

Something quietly shifts as you move through midlife. It’s not dramatic, and it doesn’t arrive with a trumpet fanfare. It’s more like waking up one morning and realising you’re less interested in impressing people and far more invested in feeling […]

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You’re Not Afraid of Change. You’re Afraid of Being Trapped

Most stalled lives don’t look dramatic. They look like curiosity that never goes anywhere. You think about doing something different. A course. A side project. A new direction at work. You feel a flicker of interest, maybe even excitement. And […]

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The Impact of Seasonal Affective Disorder

This time of year can be tough for many people. There’s a long-upheld belief that January is the worst month of the year, but for me and others like me, […]

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The Quiet Crisis Behind a “Successful” Life

Have you ever felt that something’s not quite right in your life, but you’re unsure what? I have. At the start of 2024 I knew that something was off. It […]

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What is The Emotional Cost of Being a Man?

I recently read the story of David Williams, a man who explained that despite a life with a number of major traumas, he had never cried in his entire life. […]

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Why It’s Time for Men to Evolve

For generations, masculinity has been defined by rigid expectations; strength, stoicism, and the ability to provide. Men were conditioned to suppress emotions, prioritise financial success, and avoid anything perceived as […]

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News & Insights

Why Men Don’t Go To Therapy

8th February 2026

There was an interesting article in The Guardian this week, with a psychologist lamenting the […]

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The Biology Behind ‘Irritable Male Syndrome’

4th February 2026

An article in the Daily Mail by columnist Tracey Cox raised a few hackles in […]

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Long-term Physical Inactivity Linked to Higher Midlife Stress

29th January 2026

Adults who are insufficiently physically active across adulthood experience a significantly higher burden of chronic […]

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Midlife Exercise Protects from High Blood Pressure

25th January 2026

High blood pressure affects more than 1.4 billion adults globally, yet nearly half remain undiagnosed, […]

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Sleep Apnea Linked to Mental Health Conditions in Middle Age

22nd January 2026

Adults over the age of 45 at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are […]

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Featured Expert

Book of the Month

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FOUR THOUSAND WEEKS

by OLIVER BURKEMAN

Four Thousand Week is essential reading for midlife men who feel permanently busy yet oddly unfulfilled. It confronts the uncomfortable truth that life is brutally finite (roughly four thousand weeks) and that trying to “get on top of everything” only deepens anxiety. Read More >>>

Popular Middle Man Episodes

The Cost of People Pleasing
with Daniel Glyde

Many midlife men have a problem with saying 'yes'. In that they do it all the time out of habit, regardless of what's best for them.

How You Can Live a Soft Life
with Dr Sarah Nicholls

Living a 'soft life' is all about living in a way that reduces stress and priorities mental wellbeing, ease and personal fulfilment.

Add 10 Years to Your Life!
with Dr Federica Amati

Most content about what we should eat and how we should eat it is confusing. This is a down to earth way of being healthier and fitter.

Midlife Stories: Overcoming Self Doubt
with Simon Burgess

Self doubt and lack of confidence plague many midlife men, contributing to loneliness and poor mental wellbeing.

SPEAKING

If you run a conference or a corporate wellbeing initiative, I provide presentations that are both moving and inspiring. I have been speaking publicly 20 years, and my Middle Man presentations draw upon three core elements. The first is the lived experience of the 100+ men who have contacted me with their own experiences since I launched the show. The second is the collated wellbeing wisdom of all of the guests who have appeared on the show. And the third is my very personal story of my own midlife challenges, about which I talk openly and honestly. Find out more...

FREE DOWNLOAD: THAT THING I DID

“I just wanted to email to say thank you. I found it fascinating and very emotional. A few people have already asked me about it, and I will also be sharing this with my partner and encouraging him to listen.”

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