Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

In Australia we have some of the most beautiful landscapes and nature in the world. Access to green space is widely recognised as an important factor in supporting mental wellbeing.  A new study from Scotland found people who lived close to revived woodland areas were 10 per cent less likely to be prescribed antidepressants, and if people moved closer to a woodland, that need for medication was re...

More Australians are living alone than ever before, in a society still geared towards couples and families — including at mealtimes. In The Spinster Cookbook, Eli Davies explores what it means to cook for yourself, by yourself (with no-one else to do the washing up). What are the challenges and joys of cooking for one?

Europe is nearing the end of what has been an extremely hot summer, with one of the worst fire seasons in modern history.  For locals, it's a frightening new reality. But research suggests it's also affecting tourism, with travellers cancelling or delaying trips due to heat concerns.  The study revealed 20 per cent of participants had rejigged their recent holidays over weather concerns, so what d...

Is there a bird feeder hanging in your backyard? Maybe you have some feathered friends who will eat right out of your hand? Up to 50 per cent of Australian households feed wild birds, but it might be time to stop — or at least change the way you do it — because experts are warning that backyard bird feeders can be a hotspot for bird flu transmission. We find out what else we can do to have a posit...

As the world reflects on the legacy of Dolly Parton, who died overnight aged 80, millions of children will remember her simply as "the book lady". 

When the devastating news of Dolly Parton’s passing reached the world, it was delivered by someone very dear to her – her nephew Bryan Seaver. That the man who knew her as Aunty Dolly was trusted with carrying this message highlights the important, but under-recognised role of aunts and uncles in a child's life. We celebrate mother's day, father's day, and even invite the grandparents along to kin...

You think the world of your loved ones and could write pages and pages about what is so wonderful about them. But people don't see themselves in the same light and can often put themselves down. So what should you do when someone you love is stuck in a spiral of negative self-talk?

Children's Book Week is upon us, that magical time of year where parents across the land are up late pulling together last-minute costumes fashioned after their children's favourite characters from the page. Some favourites come and go. But others stay with you. So what are the children's books that keep you coming back decades after you outgrew them? For Annabel Crabb, there's one that's stayed w...

New research from the University of Melbourne has found that young people are now significantly more likely than older generations to hold hostile attitudes towards women. 

The 70s, 80s and 90s were the decades that built Australian rock music, and launched the careers of our nation's rock and roll royalty.  But behind the scenes, working hard to make sure you didn't even know they were there, were the roadies. They started early, worked late, and spent life on the road for months at a stretch. It was an all-encompassing career that left little time to build a life o...

It's not too long ago that you probably watched your first video on YouTube. The platform is only 21 years old but has made a huge impact on our cultural landscape and Australian creators are being recognised for their contribution. Last week the National Film and Sound Archive announced 10 Australian creators were being inducted into the archive as a part of a Creator Capsule. But with so much co...

Romance fiction is often dismissed as a guilty pleasure, and if you're not an avid reader of the genre, you might assume it doesn't get much deeper than Mills and Boon or Twilight.

According to a new report from Screen Australia, 78 per cent of Australians have played a video game in the past six months.  Around half of them say games play a significant role in their lives, whether they're playing just to have fun, to pass the time, or to connect with others and explore stories on a deeper level.  Games development is one of the fastest-growing industries of Australia's scre...

Death, as they say, is a fact of life. But have you thought about how you'd like yours to go?  We don't all get the choice, but considering how you'd like to prepare for a good death (should you get the chance) can be worthwhile.  Thinking about the practical and physical elements of death, all the way to the more existential and spiritual questions, can give you a sense of peace and control. It c...

This week, the Aunties weigh in on matters of the heart, advising a listener who's been harbouring a secret crush on a close friend.  After a platonic weekend away, Mikey realised he'd left behind a notebook where he'd been scribing private thoughts about his true feelings.  Is it time to 'fess up to his friend, or can he retrieve the diary before they discover what's inside?

Waking during the night, struggling to fall asleep, or finding yourself wide awake at 3am can become more common in midlife.  You might accept it as part of getting older, but sleep problems in midlife are worth paying attention to. A Finnish study has found that people over 50 with severely disrupted sleep had a shorter working life expectancy. So, what gets in the way of a good night's sleep as...

Home ownership remains out of reach for a huge swathe of Australians, which means in turn, more people are renting long-term. So what could we do to make life as a renter a bit closer to the great Australian dream? The Australian Council of Trade Unions has taken its wishlist to the government, it's proposing increased investment in public housing but also some stronger rights for tenants, includi...

Love it or hate it, the reality is we all whinge at some point in our lives.  It is a part of human behaviour and can be a way to connect with others and build a sense of shared commonality and experience. But when does whinging go too far?

Artificial intelligence tools are transforming the way we work. They're also transforming how we get hired for a job in the first place. More than 60 per cent of Australian employers say they're using AI "significantly" or "extensively" in recruitment. It might be to write job ads, screen and shortlist applicants, or even to interview candidates. So how do you get hired if a robot is reading your...

It's estimated around 1 in 7 Australian mothers will experience postnatal depression in the year after giving birth, and 1 in 5 will experience postnatal anxiety.  While we've come a long way in reducing the stigma around seeking help, advocates say there are still gaps in accessing that support, especially in more complex scenarios.  So how well do we really understand the needs of parents in the...

In 1926, the car industrialist Henry Ford announced his factories would be moving to a five-day working week with two consecutive days off for workers. It marked the birth of the weekend as we know it (though in Australia the five-day working week wasn't legislated until 1947). Weekends have been a cornerstone of our lives, carving out time to relax, play and be with our loved ones. But is the pre...

When Susan Delcour finished chemotherapy for breast cancer a few weeks ago, she expected to feel relieved. But she also felt unexpectedly lost without the routine of appointments and regular check-ins with her medical team. "No-one really tells you about the anxiety of finishing chemo," she wrote on social media — and quickly discovered there were many other cancer survivors who felt the same. Nea...

Sometimes in life all you need is someone to show you the pathway to get where you want to be. For the next generation of budding scientists, that guidance is being shared through the ancient practice of putting pen to paper.  A program called STEMpals is pairing up students in grade five and six with professionals in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics industries. Over 5,000 lett...

The Fair Work Commission has introduced new minimum standards to improve pay for food delivery workers engaged in the gig economy. It's been a long time coming — since apps like Uber and Deliveroo arrived in Australia, there have been widespread concerns about the lack of workplace protections for these independent contractors. But it's not just the people delivering your takeaway or driving you h...

A Queensland council that previously came under fire for evicting rough sleepers from makeshift campsites has announced it will turn a local park into a dedicated space for people experiencing homelessness.  Though not directly responsible for homelessness services, two-thirds of Australian councils now consider homelessness a significant or acute issue in their local area, according to University...