The Stories Keeping You Stuck in Midlife with Fiona Maguire

Some of the most common feelings that men report experiencing during midlife are being stuck and lost, or being overwhelmed and 'running on empty'. Having spent decades putting others first, they run into problems when life switches up and they find they are low on energy and drive, without any idea how to address this This week Paul is joined by transformation coach and psychologist Fiona Maguire for a wide-ranging, candid and spiritual conversation about burnout, identity, intuition and what it really means to feel stuck in midlife. Fiona explores why so many people, particularly men, feel drained, disconnected and trapped in repetitive routines. She argues that burnout is often less about external pressures and more about losing touch with our inner guidance, or what she calls the “higher self”. When we live on autopilot, identified solely with our roles, responsibilities and circumstances, we disconnect from the deeper intelligence that fuels energy, purpose and joy. Drawing on her own near-death experience and a period of profound physical and emotional collapse, Fiona shares how losing her sense of identity forced her to confront the stories she had unconsciously built about herself. That breakdown, she explains, became a gateway to a deeper understanding of self-limitation, trauma responses and emotional regulation. This episode is a personal, thoughtful and compassionate exploration of why midlife can feel so heavy, and how reconnecting inwardly can help us reclaim calm, motivation and a more fulfilled way of living.