Be honest, how many times have you checked your notifications in the last hour? Or opened a new, totally unrelated tab? Or stopped what you're doing even though you really need to do it?

Distractions are everywhere. And whether they're self-imposed or coming from our environment, it can be hard to focus.

Today, we explore the ramifications of our rapidly shrinking attention spans, debunk some myths about focus, and discuss the art of taking a break.

Want to hear more? Check out our episode, When doom scrolling leads to actual harm.

How strong is your memory? 

Whether you're frequently forgetful or eager to improve, there are ways you can train your brain to recall faster and remember better. 

This week, we bring you our live show from Podfest at the Adelaide Festival, featuring neuropsychologists, memory athletes, and even some listeners!

If you'd like to check out another episode, why not listen to Is life coaching legit?

Dementia usually involves a decline in your ability to remember, think and reason over time. And those with dementia are at a high risk of feeling socially isolated, lonely and depressed.

As artificial intelligence systems get better and better, researchers are investigating whether AI companion bots could help improve the lives of those with dementia.

The combination might sound counterintuitive, but researchers reckon these chatbots have some advantages over human companionship.

So, what does a conversation with an AI companion sound like? How might they help? And what do the real people these AI companions are based on think of the experience?

Today, former host of All in the Mind Lynne Malcolm reports on the developing field of AI companions for people with dementia.

If you're looking for something to listen to next, check out our episode with Lynne What's been on Lynne Malcolm's mind (since leaving All in the Mind).

Have you ever experienced "the ick"?

It's that sudden, visceral feeling of being put off by someone you're dating. Maybe it's their hat, a hobby or even the way they laugh.

Stories of the ick are prolific online, but it leaves us with a question - what causes it? 

To separate red flags from disgust, we get into the psychology of the ick - why you might feel icky, if it should be a deal breaker, and what it says about your own attachment style.

If you want to hear more about dating and psychology, check out our episode The false promise of love languages.

NASA wants to send humans to Mars in the next decade or so. But can our minds handle it?

We talk to a NASA psychologist and retired astronaut about the psychological challenges people already face on long-duration space missions — and find out what it will take to get to Mars.

This episode was first broadcast in March 2024.

Looking for another episode to listen to next? Check out Dark tourism + selfie sticks = moral outrage.

Join us for a live episode of All in the Mind at Podfest in Adelaide this March. You can enter to win tickets here.

Many of us have felt self loathing at some point in our lives — maybe when you've failed at an important task at work, or lost an important relationship.

But some people hate themselves all the time — their inner monologue is a constant drumbeat of self-criticism and self-loathing. 

Where does this kind of all-encompassing self-hate come from? And is there a way to unlearn it?

We speak to psychiatrist Dr Blaise Aguirre, author of I Hate Myself: Overcome Self-Loathing and Realize Why You're Wrong About You. 

This episode discusses the topic of suicide - please take care while listening.

If you're looking for something to listen to next, check out our episode Can we trust our memories?

Resources:

• Lifeline Australia
• 1800RESPECT

Developmental paediatrician Dr Billy Garvey has seen a lot of kids with behavioural issue over the years, and there are ten things he wishes all parents understood about their kids mental health.

From insecure attachment to separation anxiety to emotional difficulties – he gives us the low down on why kids get labelled ‘bad’ – and what’s really going on (usually).

Looking for something to listen to next? Check out our episode, Wanted: Unicorns. Mission: Mars.

All in the Mind is heading to Podfest in Adelaide this March. You can enter to win tickets here.

There are some decisions in life that can be trickier to navigate. Do you want to get married? Should you change careers? Do you want a baby?

Parenthood is a choice more vexed than ever in a world threatened by climate change, political instability and cost-of-living crises. 

So how can people approach this choice? And if you're lucky enough to have a choice, how do you make peace with your decision?

Decision coach Merle Bombardieri has been working with couples on this very topic for decades — today, we ask her about the tools, tips and strategies you can use to tackle the baby question.

If you're interested in hearing more about parenthood, check out our episode called Why do we sing to babies?

Harry had been lucky. He'd never struggled with his mental health.

Then, when he was 18, seemingly out of nowhere — he had his first psychotic episode.

It was an abrupt change, with ripple effects across his family.

Today, the shock of experiencing psychosis, why you're most likely to get it when you're young, and how you can recognise the signs and support a loved one.

If you'd like to hear more about this topic, we have an episode called A musician processes her bipolar diagnosis.

Extra resources:

• SANE Australia
• Orygen
• Headspace
• Psychosis Understood

Politics, war, abortion, gun control — why do some topics make us so outraged?

One theory is that our preoccupation with preventing harm is to blame.

So today, we examine how humans developed morality, why we differ in what we consider right and wrong, and how that drives us to moral outrage.

And after all of that, we'll find out how to have better conversations with people you disagree with (even if you're feeling outraged).

If you want to hear more about that, check out The skills supercommunicators use, which you can learn too.