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

Goodbye Mum - the Grief of Parental Loss

On 4th February, my mum died from Alzheimers. Her passing follows the death of my dad less than three years ago after a long battle with a degenerative condition related to Parkinson’s. The grief and sadness I have felt have been intertwined with relief, guilt and shame, and so this episode tries to make sense of the grief of parental loss.

Features

Men Don’t Just Want Sex: The Emotional Truth We Don’t Talk About

There’s a story most of us have absorbed without ever consciously agreeing to it. Men want sex. Women want connection. End of discussion. It’s neat. It’s convenient. And it’s largely wrong. In midlife relationships, especially when sex has slowed down […]

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The Upwards Happiness Curve Nobody Tells You About

We grow up assuming life satisfaction should climb steadily with age. Work hard, build a career, find love, raise a family, earn more money…and happiness will follow. But real life rarely follows a straight line. In fact, decades of global […]

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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 […]

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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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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. […]

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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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News & Insights

Cycling for 10 Minutes a Day Can Delay Ageing

24th February 2026

Regular exercise is well known to protect long-term health, but research suggests cycling in particular […]

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Financial Confidence Low Among Middle Aged Due to Cost of Living Crisis

21st February 2026

A newly released survey highlights mounting financial strain among those aged 50 and older, a […]

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Low Midlife PSA Levels Tied With Low Prostate Cancer Risk

16th February 2026

A single prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test in midlife may help identify men at very low […]

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Midlife Depression Symptoms Linked to Dementia Risk

11th February 2026

Scientists have long recognised a link between depression and dementia, but a new study published […]

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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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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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