Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

Julie Peters thought she was a hoarder, but it turns out what she is holding on to was of great historical value. Growing up and trying to make sense of herself, Julie inadvertently amassed Australia's most comprehensive archive of transgender representation.

'Dopamine dressing' and 'dopamine travel' are two recent trends touting the power of colour to lift our spirits. But do colours really have the power to change our minds and emotions?

People in communities who've seen repeated flooding and bushfires in recent years are calling for new thinking on how to plan safer towns and suburbs, as the threat from climate change increases. So what might this look like and whose responsibility is it to make sure residents aren't at risk?

Australia has had more deaths from COVID-19 in the last six months than in the entire pandemic prior. Concern is now around two sub-variants, BA.4 and BA.5, which prompted ATAGI to give new advice about who should get a fourth booster and when.

After spending four years supporting your incarcerated best friend, and a year living together right after they were granted parole, you've found myself seriously mistreated and cut-off. Despite the hurt and heartbreak, you've decided you need to let go. How do you find closure in these circumstances?

Money can be a point of difference or even conflict when it comes to romantic relationships. So how do you and your partner deal with that? How do you negotiate joint responsibilities, savings and cash-splash vs frugal-finance styles when it comes to managing money? Tips from you and a relationship expert about how to create financial harmony in your relationship.

MDMA and psilocybin are just some of the psychoactive drugs that are being tested out here in Australia and overseas to see if they can be used to treat psychological disorders and improve mental health. Michael Pollan's new documentary explores the possibilities in a new television series, based on his best-selling book.

Remember when you were a kid, and you'd spend hours listening to the radio? Maybe you still do! Andrew West tells us about a listening device that became a very precious object for him in his childhood.

Voice, treaty, truth. The Uluru Statement from the Heart underlined these three steps to reconciliation with First Nations people. So what's the best form of truth-telling? And what is non Indigenous people's role in the process?

More Australians are becoming dog owners – and opting for apartment living. So, what's the winning formula for a harmonious life with a four-legged friend in a smaller space, both for your dog and your neighbours?

Children have endless curiosity, and more importantly, they don't have lifetime of baggage and learnt prejudices to overcome when trying to absorb a new story. This may explain why more and more Indigenous authors are turning to children's books.

Using ocean plastic to make jackets and shoes sounds like a win for the environment, and consumers are on the trend, but 'recycled' fabrics might not be very sustainable. We look at recycling and sustainability in fashion and how to minimise the impact of your wardrobe on the planet.

Many Australians are pressing pause on drinking for Dry July, but cutting back long-term can be tough. Shanna Whan shares the joys and consequences of cutting down your alcohol intake in later life when drinking is treated as the social nucleus of where you live.

In many cultures, being bilingual or multilingual is commonplace. In Australia, while some schools are implementing language lessons and bilingual programs, this is not as common in early childhood educational settings. But some childcare centres are bucking the trend and embedding additional languages into their everyday programming.

During the past two years, video and telephone consults were funded through Medicare telehealth services, in many cases for the first time ever, with many of you accessing your GP in this way. But now telephone consultations longer than 20 minutes are no longer funded, worrying some doctors and patients.

Anne Merkel's mother passed away recently and, in the rush to get to the funeral, she realised she'd forgotten to wear earrings. In stepped a couple of good friends to help her out.

Get Up! Stand up! Show up! That's the theme for this year's NAIDOC Week, calling for systemic change. How can non-Indigenous Australians be better allies? Plus, Life Matters takes your questions about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history.

ABC Chair Ita Buttrose and other special guests reflect on the ABC's role as Agony Aunt. Too Hard Basketeers tackle three dilemmas sent in by the audience. What to do about family members who are not willing to attend your mum's 80th birthday party; how to handle a partner who isn't willing to downsize and declutter from a large property; and when a neighbour you've known for a long time asks you to have a drink with them, how do you gently back out of it?

For larger people, shopping, in general, is difficult. Finding plus-size vintage clothing is even more so. Why does pre-loved clothing rarely come in bigger sizes?

In this story from Pat Walsh, he shares a passage from a book that was given to his father 70 years ago, and speculates about the wider meaning of a dog-eared page.

Health workers have had to take on a lot lately, and it's taken a toll. There are obviously big, structural changes needed to really show that we care about our carers, but in the meantime, some health workers are exploring more creative outlets.

These days, sexting a nude image to a potential hook up, partner or date is a pretty common way to flirt or connect. But, if those images are then used in a way they weren't intended, it can be completely devastating. Unfortunately, cases of image based abuse are on the rise, but there are ways to respond and create cultural change.

Activism and large corporations may seem like unlikely bedfellows, but more companies have begun weighing into complex social issues – including supporting abortion rights in the United States – and making sure their customers know about it. Can corporate activism make a difference?

After growing his moving business from the ground up, Richard Kuipers found he still had some lessons to learn about family, succession planning and enterprise when he handed over the reins of the business to his daughter. He shares what it took to bring everyone to the table.

The overturning of Roe V Wade has raised questions about the ideological bias in the SCOTUS. Good thing that could never happen in Australia's High Court, right? We look at how ideology influences High Court appointments, the impacts that has on cases brought to the court, and the flow on effects for our lives.

At just 22 years of age Natasha Sholl encountered the unimaginable. The sudden death of her partner Rob in the middle of the night. Some nine years later she also lost her brother. Her debut memoir is called Found, Wanting. Her story takes us through love, and grief, and explores the discomfort our society tends to have with consoling and nurturing those who have lost someone.

Jack of all trades, master of none, or so the adage goes, but the tide is turning. Future-looking employers are seeking generalists with skills in many disciplines, so how can you stay ahead of the curve?

Access to abortion and the stigma for those who go through it are still big problems in Australia. Finding an accessible and affordable abortion is still challenging, and a new study finds judgement from health professionals and others in the community only makes it harder.

Major retailers and councils are increasingly installing cameras with facial recognition technology. They claim it is for security and community safety reasons, but once your unique facial data is captured, there's concern about how this data is later used, who gets access to it and how it is stored.

Your brother and sister-in-law have a very laid back parenting style and although your niece and nephew are lovely they get away with murder. Your two children idolise their older cousins but you and your husband are left to supervise and control every interaction. How do you hand back the reins and tactfully tell the parents to step it up?

The saying goes that a true friend, is for life. But what happens when you have a disagreement or a falling out with a close friend? How far do you go to restore and maintain that relationship? We hear your stories of the ups and downs in your relationships with close friends.

Saving the Great Barrier Reef can seem like a herculean task and it's something that can only happen if we're able to solve the global climate crisis. But ecologists say that restoring coastal wetlands can do a lot to give the reef the best chance of surviving, and landowners in Queensland are taking it into their own hands to make that happen, including third generation cane-farmer Len Parisi.

Objects we hold close to our hearts take on their own meaning, regardless of what form or shape they are. Monique Kurdian's precious object is small enough to fit in the palm of her hand - she calls this story 'The Fire Horse'.

When menopause hit Alison Daddo, the severity of her symptoms caught her completely unawares. She became exhausted, depressed and her relationship hit rock bottom. But, with the right support, Alison says she got through it, and came out the other end "awakened". She is now healthier, happier, able to "not give a crap" about the small things and better able to care for herself. Life Matters discusses what could make menopause a positive and empowering experience for you.

During lockdowns, did your diet suffer at all? More takeaway? Sugary drinks, more junk food? This was a common story and the effects on our mental health are now starting to be understood.

As a young boy Ash Magic struggled to fit in and focus at school, whilst living with ADHD and anxiety. As an 11 year old Ash saw a street performer doing magic tricks in Pitt Street Mall and his interest in magic was sparked. Now he has more than nine million followers on Tik Tok and role-models positivity while teaching magic tricks to his followers.

Play based learning is considered a must for young children, and the Victorian and NSW governments have committed to universal access for pre-school aged kids. We look at why kids need play, the research that has made it the high watermark for education, and the changes needed to make more play happen.

Lifelong quizzer Brydon Coverdale – known by many for his TV quiz master persona, 'the shark' – has made trivia his career. His book, The Quiz Masters, charts Australia's obsession with game shows and the incredible strategies of those who have won big.

Songbirds is a program of music, art and theatre taken into prisons across NSW by the Community Restorative Centre. The director, Murray Cook, is a biologist and a musician who has played with Midnight Oil, Mixed Relations and Mental as Anything, Leah Purcell and the Warumpi band, among others. Murray uses his skills as a musician and his experiences in bands to build bridges between inmates, helping them find a way to express their feelings without hurting anyone. Now, Murray also delivers this program at the Ozanam Learning Centre in Woolloomooloo in Sydney.

Next month jobseekers will face a big change in the way they interact with the services that help them into work. Under the "Workforce Australia" scheme, jobseekers will have to 'earn' 100 points a month across various tasks in order to keep being eligible for unemployment benefits, while they search. There's been criticism of the new program already, which could impact up to 800,000 Australians, many of whom will be self managing, online.

The NSW Government has announced plans to scrap the much-maligned stamp duty on property sales and replace it with an annual land tax. There are hopes it will ease the housing crisis, but whether it will reduce house prices is less certain.

Beth wrote to say she had friends from overseas staying and they were vegan. One of the unwritten rules of hospitality is that as host, you do all you can to please your guest. Yet this situation, she feels, was completely one-sided, the vegan side, and that if the friend visited them overseas they would not be offering bacon and eggs for breakfast and steak for dinner. So how, in a situation such as this, should the host-guest relationship be handled?