Life Matters - Full Program Podcast

Psychologist Adam Grant explains why languishing has become the dominant emotion of 2021. Why we’re still drawn back to our childhood comfort food in adulthood. And how to talk to young children about grief and loss.

Will the tens of thousands of Australians who are still trying to come home be able to make it for Christmas? Plus drifting off to sleep while learning about Indigenous history and culture through bedtime stories.

Thirty seven per cent of us have lived through more than one disaster in the last year and a half. How does that affect you and how can you get through it? Also, meet 70-year-old ultramarathon runner Ross Johnston, and visit the Sydney primary school whose students are taking concrete, evidence-based steps to eliminate racism from their campus.

More than one million Australians have an autoimmune disease, such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, arthritis and others. But more is being learnt about the causes of these diseases is every day, and effective treatments can have a real impact on quality of life. Experts and listeners living with autoimmune diseases share their experiences.

The pandemic has already seen a spike in relationship splits and divorces, but experts say the break-up curve is still expected to climb. Plus, Australian Business Volunteers celebrates 40 years working in community development. And what can you do when you face surprising job competition from your 'singles bubble' buddy?

When it comes to getting vaccinated, what helped you get over the line? In today’s vaccination special, Life Matters talks to health experts on the front line who are helping people make decisions and easing their concerns about COVID-19 vaccinations.

Reusing and repurposing items in your household can go a long way towards addressing waste. But there are structural challenges to this kind of circular economy, that will make a big impact. Plus how TikTok is helping women recognise ADHD symptoms, and what's happening to local quotas for Australian kids television content?

A million doses of Moderna arrive in Australia this week to be rolled out in community pharmacies. What will that rollout look like? Also, we meet 19 year old magician and Tik Tok star, Ash Magic and Noongar community leader Oral McGuire.

Having children is seen as normal and desirable behaviour, and one of the things that is necessary for our happiness. While there is a growing childfree movement, those who happily choose not to have children, what happens when you want children and life takes you down a different path? In World Childless Week, Life Matters listeners share their experiences of being childless in a pronatalist world.

Escapees from big cities are turning up in regional towns and centres in droves. But can you keep the country lifestyle intact while welcoming a surge of new neighbours? Plus, meet the man creating free downloadable playgrounds. And how do you motivate your son to exercise?

Rapid antigen tests have been touted as a solution for people who regularly need to prove they are COVID negative. We examine how it could work. And we take your calls on remembering September 11 2001. Where were you in that moment you heard?

Modelling predicts hospitalisations in Sydney will peak in mid October, and plans are under way to manage care. While in other parts of Australia emergency departments are already under pressure, with no COVID cases in the community. So how will health professionals cope with the next stage of the pandemic? Plus leaving a charitable bequest in your will, and the story of the nation's busiest railway network.

What could life look like in the 'vaccine economy' the Victorian government will be trialling soon? How safe are kids in the gaming community on Twitch? And why do psychics, tarot readers and astrologists reading continue to draw people in?

It took ABC journalist Grace Jennings-Edquist being admitted to hospital with her four-month-old baby before she realised that her perfectionist, people-pleasing tendencies were making her ill. Her light bulb moment prompted her to write The Yes Woman, a book about why women are more likely to shoulder more than they should and how to say no when the impact of yes becomes too much.

As Spring hits and millions of Australians turn their attention to their gardens, Life Matters explores the latest craze in growing your own produce. Turns out, Australia has a long history of turning to gardening in times of crisis. The Too Hard Basket tackles a neighbour’s noisy air-conditioner.

A discussion about class and poverty in Australia, recorded at the Yarra Valley Writers Festival with Rick Morton, Dennis Glover and Glyn Davis. Plus how early risers are kicking goals at 5.30am.

The merger of the Federal Circuit Court and Family Court of Australia will take effect today, with hopes that it will cut costs and wait times for resolving matters. So how might these changes play out in reality? Plus how adopting the philosophy of stoicism can make your world better, and preserving Indigenous stories in children's books.

The day after the first Indigenous death due to COVID in NSW, where are the deficiencies in that state's health system? The gaps in knowledge of women's health as they age, and why we have a vexed relationship with the people who grow our food.

Now more than ever, with the pandemic keeping many of us apart, staying in touch with family and friends can be hard. Into this space of isolation and loneliness, those peddling conspiracy theories and cults have found fertile ground to seed their beliefs. Listeners and experts share their experiences of finding a relationship with a loved one tested by misinformation or a cult.

Behind 'WeThe15', the campaign to change attitudes towards disability that could make you see the Paralympics through a different lens. Plus, a new cookbook celebrates community resilience during the sudden lockdown of nine Melbourne public housing towers. And what do you do when your later-in-life partner won't commit to marriage?