Life Matters

Two years after the breakdown of her 20-year marriage, Hilary Harper feels like she might be ready to date again. But how do you pick up the pieces and work out when you're emotionally ready to resume the quest for love? And how do you figure out what you want?

Plus what role does class play in our closest relationships? Especially if the person we love comes from a very different socio-economic background than the one we grew up with?

Sometimes sex is disappointing. Instead of giving up on it altogether, how can you turn bad sex into something more satisfying?

And in Ask Aunty: You have three separate friends who you believe are 'breaking-up' their relationship with you. How can you salvage the friendships?

At 22, Kalkadoon man Derrick Cusack didn’t think he’d live to see 30. He was in a toxic party scene and self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. Now he’s sober, a mentor to young Indigenous men, a small business owner, and a new dad. What gave him the strength to make such a radical change?

And trying to make a big change can feel impossible and terrifying. We hear from an expert on personal transformation and how you can make those changes in your own life.

As a teenager, Naomi Mourra realised there was something intrinsic to her identity that meant living by the guidelines she'd been raised with would be impossible. How did Naomi navigate the choice that lay ahead of her, which she says was a matter of life or death?

Plus, what led Peter Singer to focus his life on ethics and fifty years since Singer published Animal Liberation, what does he think we can all do to keep building a more sustainable world? 

Meet the man who ditched the 9-5 life to become an escort, and never looked back.

Dr Time Sharp makes the argument that seeking out discomfort, taking risks, and embracing life's messiness might be the true path to a happy and meaningful life.

And Leslie Jamison shares her story: of being a mother, a wife, a teacher, an artist, and, finally, of being herself.

When Jodi Wilson had her fourth child, she and her partner, Daniel, had their lives sorted. But somehow, things holding together for a family of five fell apart for a family of six.

Their choice: keep going or trade in their home deposit and 90% of their belongings for a caravan? How did a family of six turn their back on the rat race and never return? 

And we explore the cultural devaluation of ‘home’ work, and how rethinking our relationship with domestic can improve our lives.

What are the elements of a so-called 'good life' and what helps you live one?

And what should you do when your colleagues are regularly berated by a man who lives across the road from your workplace?

Do dreams serve an evolutionary purpose? They're energy-zapping and leave us vulnerable to predation and yet dreams are necessary. What does dreaming allow our brains to do?

And for many of us there is nothing more delightful than sinking our teeth into a crisp apple, for others just hearing that sound can incite rage. Why does misophonia trigger such strong emotional or physiological responses.

There’s been an explosion of media telling us that consuming more protein can do everything from building muscle to extending our lives, but what does protein actually do and how do you know if you’re getting the right amount?

And Dr Emma Beckett and Kate Manne want us to rethink our approach to diets and to our bodies, so that we develop a healthier relationship with food and with ourselves.

Building strength has also been shown to be effective at healing injury, both physical and psychological. But how can you start building a routine for physical and psychological healing without injuring yourself further in the process?

And there is growing evidence that the vagus nerve can be stimulated through humming, singing, push-ups, social contact, and even some yoga poses. Will those activities help to reduce stress levels?