Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

By ABC listen

What's Life Matters - Separate stories podcast about?

Helping you figure out all the big stuff in life: relationships, health, money, work and the world. Let's talk! With trusted experts and your stories, Life Matters is all about what matters to you.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Life Matters - Separate stories podcast episodes:

06.13.2024
Ask Aunty: when a saxophone saga jinxes a work opportunity
You are going for your dream job when you realise that you have history with your new would be boss. Guests: Lizzy Hoo, stand-up comedian, presenter, writer, and actor Patrick Lenton, writer, journalist and author
06.13.2024
Adult friendships: a guide to making (and keeping) friends in later life
When we're young, friends are everything and making new friends can be as easy and simple as having a shared interest. But as we grow older we seem to shed friends, and getting them back can be challenging. Dr Zoë...
06.12.2024
How social determinants shape the way we live and die
Most of us know how to reduce our risk of developing heart disease, diabetes or ding from Covid. But with new research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare highlighting the most common causes of death in Australia, we...
06.12.2024
Here's What I Know: Ailsa Piper on understanding the way things are
Ailsa Piper is a writer whose latest offering For Life explores grief. She shares what it means to let move past grief, how bodily shifts can make a difference to our state of mind and the power of swimming.
06.12.2024
‘Like attaching a car’s accelerator before the brake’: How can we better support young people experiencing early puberty?
Hitting puberty is challenging enough, but 13 per cent of Australians experience early puberty (for females, this means getting their period as young as eight), and new research shows there are unique brain changes for this cohort making them particularly...
06.12.2024
0932
06.11.2024
A message from the Gods or necessary bodily function: why do we dream?
Do dreams serve an evolutionary purpose? They're energy-zapping and leave us vulnerable to predation and yet dreams are necessary. Hilary Harper is joined by Rahul Jandial, an expert who's uniquely placed to talk all things brains and dreams.
06.11.2024
Balancing choice and protection: what are best ways to regulate voluntary assisted dying?
The ACT has become the latest Australian jurisdiction to legalise Voluntary Assisted Dying — with the changes taking effect in November 2025. That means that every State and Territory, except the Northern Territory has legalised the practice — but there...
06.10.2024
Norman Swan remembers Michael Mosley as a leading science communicator
Norman Swan met Michael Mosley as a young doctor. Norman reflects on Michael‘s transition from GP to leading science communicator and his ability to weave his personal story into scientific research. Guest: Dr Norman Swan, Producer and presenter of the...
06.10.2024
How can we help our children regulate their emotions in a healthy way?
Tantrums are a fact of life for most parents — the world can be a lot for a young child to take in — and sometimes their emotions can get the best of them. But some psychologists are saying that...
06.10.2024
People are giving less: how are charities pivoting to stay afloat during a cost-of-living crisis?
Charities are reporting a huge spike in demand for services across the country. At the same time, donations are dropping as potential donors are experiencing financial hardship, sometimes for the first time in years. How has the cost-of-living crisis impacted...
06.09.2024
What we're learning about romantic love
When you fall in love, you hope that it will last forever! But sadly, that's not always the case. Scientists are discovering more about love and how it influences our bodies and brains.
06.09.2024
The surprising benefits of insomnia
While grieving a series of deaths in her close circle of family and friends, Annabel Abbs-Streets found herself in the midst of chronic, severe, insomnia. After railing against her sleeplessness, becoming increasingly frustrated, she decided upon a different tack. She...
06.09.2024
Protein is the ‘miracle nutrient’ of the moment, but how much do you really need?
There’s been an explosion of media telling us that consuming more protein can do everything from building muscle to extending our lives, but experts say more is not always better and too much could actually be harmful. So what does...
06.06.2024
Ask Aunty: You feel judged for your choice in supermarkets
You like shopping at the posh supermarket across the street but when a neighbour makes a snide comment about your shopping habits you wonder whether it’s time to give up the supermarket or your friendship with the neighbour.
06.06.2024
Why your relationship with your hair is deeper than you think
Hair can be a fun way to express who we are, it can also signify a lot about us, from our cultural heritage to our age. Clinical psychologist Nasalifya Namwinga joins Beverley Wang to explore the connection between our hair...
06.05.2024
Does adaptation need to become the new priority on climate change?
May this year was the hottest on record, globally speaking, and that marks 12 straight months of record heat. And with that heat comes disaster events: wildfires are raging in California, heatwaves have impacted South and South-East Asia and floods...
06.05.2024
Here's What I Know: Chris Cheers on uncomfortable emotions
Chris Cheers is a psychologist, educator and author who works mostly with the queer and arts community. He shares why sometimes stress can tell us we are doing something meaningful, the importance of curiosity and why he prioritises making time...
06.05.2024
Health at Every Size is not about bingeing on junk food, so how does it work?
As traditional dieting has been proven to be ineffective for many people, the Health at Every Size movement has offered a more holistic alternative. But a new journalistic investigation has found that major American food companies have distorted the HAES...
06.05.2024
0927
06.04.2024
'She was able to have golf lessons': Confronting the inquiry into the gender pain gap through art
Michelle Hamer is an acclaimed artist whose work delivers a strong message through what may be considered a gentle medium. She is also no stranger to chronic pain. But it was in asking others to share their experiences that informed...
06.04.2024
Do we need laws to prevent genetic discrimination?
Genetic testing is increasingly becoming essential in disease management and prevention, but some argue that life insurance discrimination could deter people from getting tested. The Council of Australian Life Insurers says they support a near-total ban on the use of genetic...
06.03.2024
Here's What I Know: Morris Gleitzman on looking below the surface of things
Morris Gleitzman is a bestselling children’s author, whose work includes Two Weeks with the Queen and more recently Tweet. He reflects on the importance of looking under the surface, making the time to read and typing with all his fingers.
06.03.2024
Blossom, practical and creative ways to find wonder in the floral world
It's time to stop and smell the roses. Adriana Picker has a particular passion for the floral world. She sees her life 'punctuated by plants'. Her book is called 'Blossom, practical and creative ways to find wonder in the floral...
06.03.2024
Death anxiety may be unconsciously influencing your life but you can turn it around
While we like to distract ourselves from the concept of death, Terror Management Theory, a school of psychological thought, argues that anxiety about our own and others' mortality drives many of our more perverse behaviours. Some researchers are now arguing...
06.03.2024
Is the minimum wage keeping pace with the cost of living?
The Fair Work Commission have raised the minimum and award wages by 3.75%, roughly in line with inflation. But, despite increases above what many business groups have asked for over the last 5 years, wages have fallen in real terms. ...
06.02.2024
'Side, back, front?' What's the best position for a good night's sleep?
There are plenty of devices on the market that aim to help improve your sleep posture, but does it really need shifting? Professor Danny Eckert looks at why we like to sleep in a certain position, and when those positions...
06.02.2024
We can acquire food allergies as adults. Can it be avoided?
While far less common than developing an allergy in childhood, adults can get food allergies too. Professor Clare Collins looks at causes adults to acquire food allergies and whether there is any way to avoid it.
06.02.2024
Busting the myths about only children
If you labelled a child 'selfish', 'spoiled', or 'maladjusted' because of their skin colour or religion you'd be rightfully accused of discrimination. So why do people feel entitled to make the same judgements about only children. Myths about only children...
05.30.2024
Ask Aunty: a tricky bathroom situation at work
You ride your bike to work, and so does your senior colleague. When you enter the shower, you always find that your senior colleague is leaving their hair around the drain. It might be time for a difficult conversation. Can...
05.30.2024
What’s your relationship with risk?
If you look up the word 'risk' in the dictionary you may well find that it refers to the possibility of something bad happening, but it can also be an opportunity to evolve. Clinical psychologist Dr Charlotte Keating joins Beverley...
05.30.2024
0906
05.29.2024
Life in a tourist town
Have you ever gone to the perfect holiday spot and thought: I wish I could just live here forever? What is it like for the people who actually do? From the busy days of peak season to the slow days...
05.29.2024
Here's What I Know: Dr Yves Rees on why we need to feel our feelings
Dr Yves Rees is a historian, author and podcaster and prominent voice on issues and experiences of gender diversity. They share how taking up ocean swimming with the Salty Slags club boosted their wellbeing, and why they make an effort...
05.29.2024
Feeling ‘suffocated’ by the role of mother and wife, Molly Roden Winter found an outlet - polyamory
When teacher Molly Roden Winter’s husband is home late, leaving her to put the kids to bed (again), she storms out of the house, finding herself at a bar exchanging numbers with a cute guy. Molly never expects to pursue...
05.28.2024
Headphones and hearing
When you walk through the city or just pop down to the shops, it can feel like everyone has a set of headphones glued to their ears While work-related hearing loss has gone down in Australia over the last few...
05.28.2024
How are bank branch closures affecting you?
A Senate report says banking services and access to cash should be considered an essential service in Australia, and has called for a new banking code, which would prohibit banks from closing local branches in regional areas without consultation. The...
05.28.2024
'I lost my sister in my parent's divorce'
Jane Cafarella was separated from her sister when her parents divorced, each taking one child with them. But well before that while living under the same roof her parents had already claimed a child each. For Jane it was her...
05.27.2024
Pre-frailty can start in your 40s but exercise will turn it around
We have all been conditioned to think that being frail and prone to falls is an inevitable product of ageing. But research suggests that frailty, and its precursor pre-frailty, are partially a product of our lifestyle. A new study suggests...
05.27.2024
Meet the advisors behind the federal government’s new consent campaign
1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men have reported experiencing sexual violence in Australia. And recent surveys suggest that many Australians feel confused around issues of consent. The Federal Government has begun rolling out a $40 million dollar...
05.26.2024
Are we under too much pressure to 'age well'?
It may seem like living longer is the latest in a long set of goals you're being asked to achieve. But should having a meaningful and happier life, no matter the duration, be a more desirable goal? And what helps...
05.26.2024
'Ghost jobs' are on the rise and frustrating jobseekers. So how do you spot one?
'Ghost jobs' are ads for positions that employers have no intention are filling, and they are on the rise. Recruiters have all sorts of reasons for doing this - from building their general candidate pool, to giving an impression of...
05.26.2024
What happens when you donate your body to science?
Whole body donation is critical for teaching medical students anatomy and supporting forensic research. But those in universities are reporting students are getting less time with and access to real cadavers. Are people not donating or is something else going...
05.23.2024
Ask Aunty: do I need to be friends with the parents of my child's best friend?
You reach a breaking point after the parent of your child's bestie behaves disrespectfully. They ask for favours and show little gratitude when you go out of your way for them. You stop giving their child lifts to school. Do...
05.23.2024
How to make a good first impression
Making a good first impression can be hard. You want to act natural, but the harder you try the less natural you can seem. So how do we get out of the way of ourselves and connect with those around...
05.22.2024
In search of the elusive idea of free time
Head far enough back in history, and really not all that far, and the idea of consistent free time was one enjoyed by a relatively small elite. Indeed, the 5 day work week that many of us take for granted...
05.22.2024
Here's What I Know: Lisa Millar is making time to smile more
ABC News Breakfast co-host Lisa Millar has had a storied career bringing you the big stories from abroad and at home, and championing a few muster dogs too. She reflects on some of her big achievements, opens up about a few regrets, and...
05.22.2024
The very healthy Mediterranean diet is now all the rage. But the original Greek-Australian food? An ice cream sundae
These days, it’s hard to talk food and lifestyle without someone singing the praises of the Mediterranean diet, but Greek food was originally so unfamiliar to the Anglo-Australian palate that savvy cafe owners had to sneak it in behind a...
05.21.2024
How can a scarcity mindset lead to hoarding tendencies?
Some of us might have a bottom drawer with a random collection of items we've collected over time or an appliance that we always tell ourselves we'll repair. Trauma manifests in various ways, and hoarding tendencies might just be one...
05.21.2024
The role of class in our intimate relationships
Many of us like to think of Australia as fairly egalitarian, where anyone can rise above their beginnings and find success. For some of us, that's true. But class can still play a huge role in the opportunities we encounter,...

What's Life Matters - Separate stories podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Life Matters - Separate stories podcast episodes:

Ask Aunty: when a saxophone saga jinxes a work opportunity

Adult friendships: a guide to making (and keeping) friends in later life

How social determinants shape the way we live and die

Here's What I Know: Ailsa Piper on understanding the way things are

‘Like attaching a car’s accelerator before the brake’: How can we better support young people experiencing early puberty?

0932

A message from the Gods or necessary bodily function: why do we dream?

Balancing choice and protection: what are best ways to regulate voluntary assisted dying?

Norman Swan remembers Michael Mosley as a leading science communicator

How can we help our children regulate their emotions in a healthy way?

People are giving less: how are charities pivoting to stay afloat during a cost-of-living crisis?

What we're learning about romantic love

The surprising benefits of insomnia

Protein is the ‘miracle nutrient’ of the moment, but how much do you really need?

Ask Aunty: You feel judged for your choice in supermarkets

Why your relationship with your hair is deeper than you think

Does adaptation need to become the new priority on climate change?

Here's What I Know: Chris Cheers on uncomfortable emotions

Health at Every Size is not about bingeing on junk food, so how does it work?

0927

'She was able to have golf lessons': Confronting the inquiry into the gender pain gap through art

Do we need laws to prevent genetic discrimination?

Here's What I Know: Morris Gleitzman on looking below the surface of things

Blossom, practical and creative ways to find wonder in the floral world

Death anxiety may be unconsciously influencing your life but you can turn it around

Is the minimum wage keeping pace with the cost of living?

'Side, back, front?' What's the best position for a good night's sleep?

We can acquire food allergies as adults. Can it be avoided?

Busting the myths about only children

Ask Aunty: a tricky bathroom situation at work

What’s your relationship with risk?

0906

Life in a tourist town

Here's What I Know: Dr Yves Rees on why we need to feel our feelings

Feeling ‘suffocated’ by the role of mother and wife, Molly Roden Winter found an outlet - polyamory

Headphones and hearing

How are bank branch closures affecting you?

'I lost my sister in my parent's divorce'

Pre-frailty can start in your 40s but exercise will turn it around

Meet the advisors behind the federal government’s new consent campaign

Are we under too much pressure to 'age well'?

'Ghost jobs' are on the rise and frustrating jobseekers. So how do you spot one?

What happens when you donate your body to science?

Ask Aunty: do I need to be friends with the parents of my child's best friend?

How to make a good first impression

In search of the elusive idea of free time

Here's What I Know: Lisa Millar is making time to smile more

The very healthy Mediterranean diet is now all the rage. But the original Greek-Australian food? An ice cream sundae

How can a scarcity mindset lead to hoarding tendencies?

The role of class in our intimate relationships

Other shows like Life Matters - Separate stories podcast: