Midlife Renaissance

When Life Changes: An Anonymous Survey for Men in Midlife

What men are carrying, what changes their sense of self, and what kind of support would actually help.

The Midlife Renaissance

Operated by Danielle Coco

ABN 25 882 260 858

Queensland, Australia

frankie@midliferenaissance.co

Life can change before a man has words for what happened. A relationship ends. Work changes or disappears. The body stops cooperating. Children leave. Retirement arrives. Money tightens. A role that once made life make sense no longer fits.

Midlife Renaissance is listening before creating anything.

This anonymous survey asks about change, identity, direction, pressure, connection and support. It is designed for men answering from their own experience. It should take around 8–10 minutes.

Questions about the survey or your information can be sent to frankie@midliferenaissance.co. Full privacy details are in our Privacy Policy (opens in a new tab, so your answers here are not lost).

Some questions mention loss, isolation, anger, alcohol, gambling and emotional distress. This survey is not monitored in real time and cannot provide crisis support.

If you or someone else is in immediate danger in Australia, call 000. For support now, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, or MensLine Australia on 1300 78 99 78. If you are outside Australia, contact your local emergency or crisis service.

I have read the information above, I am at least 18 years old, and I freely agree to take part. (required)
Are you answering from your own lived experience as a man? (required)

Where life stands now

Which age group are you in?
Which of these describe your current situation? (select all that apply)
Which sentence feels closest to your life right now?

What changed

During the past three years, which changes or pressures have affected you significantly? (select all that apply)
How much has your sense of who you are changed during the past three years?
Not at allCompletely
Which of these, if any, have you privately taken as evidence that you failed — even if you would never judge another man the same way? (select all that apply)

What life feels like inside

Some of the next questions are more personal. You can skip any of them. This form is not monitored for crisis support. In Australia, call 000 in immediate danger, Lifeline on 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, or MensLine Australia on 1300 78 99 78.

During the past four weeks, how often have you felt each of the following?

Overwhelmed by things I would normally handle
Lonely, even when other people were around
Emotionally flat, numb or disconnected
Ashamed of where my life is now
Angry with nowhere useful or safe to put it
Exhausted from appearing to be fine
Like a burden to people I care about
Worried that I am becoming irrelevant or being left behind
Grief for something other people do not recognise as a real loss

During the past four weeks, how often have these been true?

I felt useful or needed
I had some control over important decisions
I could see a direction, even if it was small
I felt hopeful that life could change
I felt valued for who I am, not only for what I do or provide
I had at least one person with whom I could be honest
I trusted myself to handle the next step

Please do not include names or identifying details. This anonymous form is not monitored for urgent support.

What makes it difficult to say what is really happening? (select all that apply)

Coping, connection and support

When life feels difficult, what do you tend to do? (select all that apply)
Do you currently have at least one person with whom you can share private worries or fears?
What has stopped or delayed you from getting support when you needed it? (select all that apply)
What genuinely helps you feel steadier or more like yourself? (choose up to five)

Choose up to 5.

Direction and what would help

What would help most at this stage? (choose up to three)

Choose up to 3.

Which formats would you realistically use? (choose up to four)

Choose up to 4.

Which lines would be most likely to make you stop and read? (choose up to two)

Choose up to 2.

What would help you trust a resource like this? (select all that apply)
Would the gender of the person creating or guiding this resource affect whether you trusted it?
May Midlife Renaissance use a short, carefully de-identified excerpt from your written answers in an internal research summary or future public explanation of what men told us?