Life Matters - Full program podcast

When was the last time you had fun or experienced joy? It's something you'd assume should be pretty easy, but sometimes it can feel hard. That struggle to feel joy or notice the small joyful moments in our day is actually very normal. Dr Desiree Koslowski is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Southern Cross University and Dr Kerry Burnright is a gerontologist and author of a new book called J...

Travel can have its frustrations: A cancelled flight, lost bags, a lengthy delay forcing you to spend hours at an airport, and the stress of trying to rebook the family's holiday at the last minute. The Federal Government has released new rules to establish reasonable standards for airlines and airports ... like when refunds should be issued and when food and drink vouchers are appropriate. So, wh...

The deep exhaustion of burnout makes it feel like you'll never emerge at the other end. A 2023 report found 80% of the Australian workforce struggles with burnout. So, what are the signs you are headed for a crash? How do you course-correct? Dr Roland Bull shares his personal experience of burnout and Dr Rachel Hannam, Clinical Director at North Brisbane Psychologists, talks about the steps you ca...

One advocacy group wants 2026 to be the first year where you can watch the footy finals without the gambling ads. Can you even picture it? Currently, gambling ads are all-pervasive - on jerseys, on the TV between tackles and even on the field itself. Martin Thomas is CEO of Alliance for Gambling Reform and Dylan Jacotine is sharing his recovery from gambling addiction online. Students and staff at...

In Victoria, there's a push to charge a fee to view the iconic Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road. Around the country, some of our national parks are free, but you pay to visit the most popular, like Kakadu. Nearly all of our beaches are free... but you'll get often slugged for parking. So, what's reasonable when it comes to charging access to Australia's great natural wonders? Liz Price is G...

For many of us, friendship groups are a key part of our social circle. Maybe it's your friend group from school or uni... or the gang you bonded with at your first job... it could be the parent group at your child's school. Friendship groups can be a source of joy, comfort, and camaraderie. They can also be tricky to navigate and Sahra O'Doherty, President of the Australian Association of Psycholo...

For decades the thinking has been that bringing together people from different cultural or religious groups would be enough to effectively reduce prejudice in society. But new research from the University of Queensland says that method simply isn't working anymore. Staying prejudiced isn't an option if we want to live in a peaceful country. So how can we open the door of our echo chambers, and let...

The US President Donald Trump has linked autism to vaccines ... even pointing the finger at paracetamol. His claims have been widely criticised by medical experts worldwide and Australian regulators have been quick to point out the safety of both vaccines and paracetamol. But when a US President speaks, the ripple effects are global... and Australia's autism community is paying close attention. Dr...

For a long time signing an online petition was seen as the slackest form of activism. But now the digital world has supercharged petitions. Australia's under 16 social media ban started as an online petition. Supported by regular people, calling for change. Whether it's slowing down traffic on your street or shaking up national policy, petitions can give regular people power. Julie-Ann Finney led...

A new report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics paints a pretty dire snapshot of the nation's health and wellbeing. It shows that you and I are living in a society that's more socially fragmented, less happy, and less healthy than it has been in years. So, what is needed to live a happier, and healthier life? A panel of experts weighs in on the nation's health, including Dr Jenny Gordon, ANU...

What would happen if you decide to embrace the word yes? Yes to opportunities! Yes to scary invitations! Yes to chances to have fun! Yes! Yes! Yes! Virologist Kirsty Short gave it a go and found it helped her get in touch with what she really wanted in life. Dr Giac Giacomantonio, Brisbane-based psychotherapist, discusses why saying yes can be hard but rewarding. Volunteering at school events is a...

The conversation about genetically edited meat is evolving.... and so are the rules. Genetically edited animals like fish, cows, and pigs, are being developed for the dinner plate. In Australia, GMO foods were traditionally subject to strict regulation under the national food safety watchdog. But that's changing. Food Standards Australia New Zealand has recently revised its rules. John Gibson is a...

Any good book will transport you in some way -- pull you into a mystery, take you to a fantastical land... make you laugh, make you cry. But sometimes a book stays with you long after you finish reading it and changes the way you see the world forever. Bec Sparrow, writer and host of the Birds of a Feather book club, and Fiona Stager, co-owner of three Brisbane independent book shops, share their...

ChatGPT... Grammarly... Google Gemini...  AI tools have changed student life in the space of just a couple of years. Cheating seems easier than ever before. So, how do teachers monitor AI use, while accurately assessing students' work? Mark McLauchlin is a nursing student who is fighting AI cheating accusations. Dr Jasmine Thomas, Associate Director of I.C.T. Governance and Partnerships at the Uni...

Koalas are cuddly, world-famous, and deeply woven into our national identity. But behind the cute image is a species in crisis. Last week the NSW state government announced a major move: a Great Koala National Park on the Mid North Coast. A nationwide chlamydia vaccine rollout is also coming. Dr Christine Hosking, Conservation Planner & Researcher at The University of Queensland, and  Dr Stuar...

So, now you know! You have ADHD! But, what comes next? Is there a way that you, and those who love you, can “do life” that better suits your ADHD brain? Journalist and author Matilda Boseley and psychiatrist Dr Sunil Reddy share how to make households, workplaces, relationships and day-to-day life as ADHD-friendly as possible. And what do you do when you're stuck between your best mate and your be...

Dealing with angry and abusive customers has become part of the job for many retail workers in Australia. Some retailers have introduced measures like body-worn cameras, extra CCTV and duress alarms to improve safety. But the problem has become so serious that this week a major independent supermarket chain said it's considering closing stores because of violent customer behaviour. Retail workers...

Three decades after a federal treaty was first promised - but never materialised - Victoria has introduced the first ever treaty legislation into its parliament. It has been a hard won battle for First Nations people, and this landmark Victorian process has survived where others have fallen in the wake of the failed Voice referendum. Katie Kiss, Kaanju and Birri Widi woman and Aboriginal and Torre...

Convicted triple-murderer Erin Patterson will spend at least 33 years behind bars for the deaths of three family members via an infamous death cap mushroom lunch. The sentence was the culmination of an almost two-years long criminal justice process.... heavily scrutinised by the public and the press. Dr Brianna Chesser, Associate Professor in Criminology and Justice at RMIT University, discusses w...

As our cities grow we're building new houses, new shops and new amenities from scratch. Melanie Davern, from Australian Urban Observatory and Jane Martin from Food for Health Alliance unpack why so many new developments become fast food highways. Its in light of a proposal to change local planning processes in Victoria to address the growing problem of fast food over-saturation in suburbs like tho...

Is it possible to change your personality? Many of us may have thought about it, but journalist and staff writer at The Atlantic, Olga Khazan, actually did it. After spending a year intensively researching the science of personality change, she applied that science to herself. She wrote about her experience in her new book, Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change. And Dr Carl...

Is the Australian flag a unifying emblem? A symbol of colonisation? Is it patriotic? Divisive? Exclusionary? Thousands of people attended the March for Australia rallies on the weekend... and one of the most common sights in the crowds was the Australian flag. The images have sparked a conversation about the flag's use and its meaning. Graeme Davison is an Emeritus professor of history at Monash U...

Australia’s housing crisis is a complex challenge - but what if it was also our biggest opportunity? In a new ABC Radio National series, The Home Front, Professor of Architecture Anthony Burke explores how smart, thoughtful design could transform the way we live - and help us reimagine the Great Australian Dream. For most people, calling a loved one is part of daily life. But in prison, the high c...

Women do the bulk of the laundry, the cooking, the school lunches and running the family's social calendar. And this picture hasn't really changed in 20 years, according to the most recent Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. So, what are the struggles in trying to share the domestic mental load? Matt Johnson is co-host of parenting podcast Two Doting Dads and Alistair Thomso...

The dollar figure of detaining young people has shot up dramatically in the last five years, despite the actual number of people in the system declining. So if getting to these kids too late is costing us both financially and in community safety, just how early do we need to be intervening? Report author Dr Caroline Croser-Barlow and Emeritus Professor Ross Homel who led a decades-long early inter...